Washington, United States

Women in the United States are increasingly being driven to "DIY abortion," such as alcohol consumption, the use of herbs and even physical harm in an attempt to terminate their pregnancies themselves.

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After the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in June 2022, women attempting self-managed abortions increased from 2.4 per cent before to 3.3 per cent, according to the study. 

Published in JAMA Network Open, the study surveyed women of reproductive age before and after the Supreme Court's decision. Researchers questioned around 7,000 women six months prior and 7,100 women a year later to gauge the rise in self-managed abortions. 

“Our data show that making abortion more difficult to access does not reduce the desire or need for it,” Lauren Ralph, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, and one of the study’s authors said.

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The research found several of the factors that influenced women to self-manage their abortions. These may include privacy, concerns over the high cost of clinical services or a desire to attempt self-managed abortion prior to pursuing formal medical care.

The approaches taken by women were radically different. Others used nonprescription drugs like the morning-after pill (levonorgestrel) and several abortion pills including misoprostol, mifepristone or both. Still others resorted to alcohol or drugs, or harmed themselves physically, hitting their belly or lifting heavy items.

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Some women reported bleeding and pains that made them go to hospitals. Other findings were that the pregnancies came to an end after the procedures, while others continued if the measures were not effective.

According to the study, some women would then go to clinics for abortions, and in other cases, they miscarried.

“The findings confirm what we’ve been saying all along: If you make it difficult to obtain an abortion through formal channels, people will resort to informal methods," the study's authors said.

What was the Roe v Wade case about?

The 1973 Roe v Wade judgement provided a foundation for legal abortion in the United States. Jane Roe, an unmarried pregnant woman, challenged Texas' abortion ban. 

The court ruled in her favour, saying, "The United States Constitution provides a fundamental 'right to privacy' that protects a person's right to choose whether to have an abortion. The abortion right is not absolute. It must be balanced against the government's interests in protecting health and prenatal life."

The Court overturned the ruling in the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organisation case in 2022, eliminating the 'constitutional' right to abortion.

(With inputs from agencies)