Looking Back: The Changing Landscape of Abortion Care in Louisiana

Abstract

This article examines how COVID-19 and the Dobbs decision have impacted abortion services in Louisiana. COVID-19's introduction into an already restrictive landscape of abortion policies intensified the barriers that providers and communities faced, with disproportionate impacts on Black and Hispanic abortion seekers. The 2022 Dobbs decision marked the immediate enactment of Louisiana's abortion ban, resulting in even greater difficulties in accessing abortion services. Concerns raised by Roberts et al. (2021) about the negative effects of clinic closures have only grown since their prescient study.

Published in American Journal of Public Health