Abortions are on the rise in the US despite more than a dozen states enforcing near-total bans on the procedure, according to WeCount. There were more than 1.14m abortions in the US in 2024 compared with around 1.06m in 2023, its report said. One in four abortions in the US was provided using telehealth at the end of 2024, compared with just 7pc at the end of 2022. Half of those medication abortions were prescribed through telemedicine to patients living under bans by doctors operating in states with so-called shield laws.

Eight states, including New York and Massachusetts, have shield laws designed to protect abortion providers from legal jeopardy, including extradition. But this growing practice is facing a series of legal and regulatory challenges that abortionrights activists said could further erode access and antiabortion groups say are necessary for patient safety.

(Adapted from `Abortions Accessed Through Telemedicine Are Growing Despite Legal Challenges,` by Jennifer Calfas, published on June 23, 2025, by the Wall Street Journal)