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FACT BRIEF

Are most abortions in the US done with medications?

By Tom Kertscher
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YES

Most abortions in the U.S. have been performed with medications, rather than surgery, since 2020.

Medication abortion accounted for an estimated 63% of all clinician-provided abortions in states without total abortion bans in 2023, up from 39% in 2017, according to the nonprofit Alan Guttmacher Institute.

Those percentages likely are low because they don’t include self-managed abortion, which typically is done by ordering abortion pills online, according to the health policy research organization KFF.

The latest figures from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which include reports from nearly all states, show that 56% of abortions in 2021 were done with medications, up from 53% in 2020.

A two-drug combination of mifepristone and misoprostol is the most common medication abortion in the U.S.

Wisconsin Republican Eric Hovde made the medication claim Aug. 14, 2024. He is running against U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., in the Nov. 5 election.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Guttmacher Institute Abortion in the United States
KFF The Availability and Use of Medication Abortion
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2021
Guttmacher Institute Medication Abortion Accounted for 63% of All US Abortions in 2023—An Increase from 53% in 2020
Google Docs Eric Hovde on medication abortions
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.