The accelerating pace of disappearing abortion providers is the fastest annual pace on record and has been propelled by renewed efforts by Republicans to tighten regulation surrounding them or cut off funding from Medicaid.
The decline in the number of providers offering abortion, with more than one dropping out every two weeks, occurred in 35 states. More than 30 million women of reproductive age in both small towns and urban cities are affected, according to the report.
Some states are losing more abortion providers than others. Texas has lost at least 30 since 2011, Iowa lost 14 and Michigan lost 13. Even California, led by Democrats, lost 12 abortion providers.
Standalone clinics perform the vast majority of abortions, not physician’s offices or hospitals. On average, 31 standalone abortion providers have either closed or stopped performing the procedure each year, according to the report.
State-imposed regulations that make remaining in business too expensive or logistically impossible accounted for more than 25 percent of the closings, according to the report. Other factors, such as industry consolidation, shifting demographics and decreasing demand also contributed to the decline.
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