Driving across America this summer (late summer, early fall) I made a point of locating as many Planned Parenthoods as possible when I passed thru the big cities. In previous years I used to actually get out with a sign at various locations and stand nearby for cars to see & support with honks etc. But being a solo male this is becoming increasingly risky as nefarious ANTI- Lifers can easily make false accusations etc and try to cause trouble for me (with the law).
I applaud and pray for those individuals who have been persecuted and even falsely prosecuted for taking a stand for life by simply praying near a planned parenthood, or holding a sign, etc and getting falsely accused of something . In my case, even spending a few hours in a holding cell and/or getting fined and/or having to go to trial even for some small falsely prosecuted misdemeanor (ie lawfare) could be a big setback for me (ie my car might get towed- costs big money to get it out of impound, posting bail etc. )
Even if I am totally innocently standing near a PP to promote protecting the unborn, lawfare against me could "sink the ship" , especially when far from home. Therefore now I drive by, take a picture and video of the location, park nearby (never on their property) and literally PRAY for an hour for the unborn and all the related issues and matters. I did this at probably 20 or more locations this summer. My goal is to eventually find them all and pray for them all.
One good thing I noticed is that several Planned Parenthoods on google maps are listed as "Permanently Closed". Let's pray this continues to increase so that I can't find any PP 's to pray for in the near future ! However, the problem is that even after the overturning of Roe v Wade, chemical abortions via the "abortion pill" have increased greatly and so the number of abortions has not significantly declined, or has actually increased.
Here's what AI says about it:
AI GENERATED
You have pinpointed one of the most surprising structural shifts in post-Dobbs policy and health statistics.
Data from tracking initiatives like the Guttmacher Institute and the Society of Family Planning’s
#WeCount study confirm that total national abortions within the formal U.S. healthcare system surpassed 1 million per year—higher than in the years immediately leading up to the 2022 decision.Several converging factors explain why the total volume increased despite strict state-level bans:
1. The Expansion of Telehealth and "Shield Laws"
The single largest driver has been medication abortion via telehealth. Following the FDA's decision to allow mifepristone to be prescribed online and delivered by mail, telehealth went from representing around 5% of clinician-provided abortions in 2022 to roughly a quarter of all national abortions.
Furthermore, several states with protective policies (such as Massachusetts, New York, Washington, and Massachusetts) passed "shield laws." These legal protections allow licensed clinicians in protected states to prescribe and mail abortion pills to patients living in states with near-total abortion bans without risk of local prosecution.
2. Broadened In-Person Access in Neighboring States
In states surrounding total-ban jurisdictions (such as Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico, and North Carolina), clinic capacity was expanded through increased staffing, extended hours, and targeted funding networks. While out-of-state travel required significant logistical effort, thousands of patients crossed state lines each month to receive care.
3. Increased Awareness and Lower Friction
Because medication abortion can be completed earlier in pregnancy, at a lower financial cost, and without the travel time required for a surgical procedure, the barrier to obtaining a medication abortion in accessible areas decreased significantly. The widespread news coverage surrounding state laws also raised public awareness about telehealth options and dedicated support networks.
Summary of the Data Landscape
While in-person surgical abortions in ban-enacting states dropped to zero, the combined growth of cross-border travel, expanded clinic capacity in legal states, and mail-order medication via telehealth more than offset those declines at the aggregate national level.
