Abortion industry
The term abortion industry refers to the organizations, providers, distribution channels and economic arrangements involved in delivering abortion services, including clinic-based care, referral agencies, and direct-to-patient medication abortion via telehealth and online pharmacies. It is also used as a rhetorical device in partisan discourse, as a pejorative term in political communication and advocacy, to describe abortion providers and allied organisations.Terminology and usage
Scholarly and public health literature typically uses descriptive terms such as abortion providers, abortion services or reproductive health services when analysing organisation, financing and delivery of care. By contrast, the phrase abortion industry is common in political commentary and advocacy to characterise providers and networks in critical terms.Historical development
Historians describe varied forms of abortion provision across the 19th and early 20th centuries, followed by the mid-to-late 20th-century growth of clinic-based services and organised referral networks in jurisdictions where abortion was legal or liberalised. Research on cross-border access documents revealed how referral agencies and travel created markets for services when local provision was restricted.Providers and organisational structures
Abortion services are delivered by a mix of independent clinics, hospital-based services, national nonprofit networks and for-profit providers; in the 21st century, telehealth organisations and online pharmacies have become prominent channels for medication abortion. As of March 2024, there were 765 brick-and-mortar clinics providing abortion care in the United States, down from 807 in 2020, with no clinics in 14 states enforcing total bans at that time. Facility databases also track a rapid rise of telehealth providers, enabled in some jurisdictions by "shield laws" protecting clinicians who prescribe across state lines.Economics and market dynamics
Scholars and public health researchers examine costs and funding sources, as well as how regulation shapes supply, demand and market structure for abortion services. In the U.S., medication abortions accounted for about 63% of all abortions in 2023—a marked rise from 2020—reflecting both patient preferences and policy changes affecting access to procedural care. Studies report that a growing share of abortions occur via telehealth channels; one 2024 analysis estimated ~19% of U.S. abortions were provided through telehealth as of May 2024.Access, geography and telemedicine
Following the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision, multiple studies document increases in average travel time to in-person abortion facilities and a rise in telemedicine provision. Peer-reviewed work on online provision and self-managed medication abortion—including studies of Women on Web and Aid Access—finds effectiveness and safety under supported telemedicine models in settings with legal or geographic barriers. Global guidance from the World Health Organization recognises that abortion can be safely managed with recommended methods in appropriate settings, including self-management in early pregnancy under specified conditions.Regulation and policy impacts
Funding rules, facility regulations, telehealth policies and criminal penalties shape where and how services are delivered and affect the mix of clinic-based vs. remote provision. Analyses of facility numbers indicate a net reduction in brick-and-mortar clinics after 2020, concentrated in states with bans, alongside growth in telehealth service availability and use.Controversies and criticism
Political and advocacy groups frequently use the term abortion industry in critiques of providers, alleging unsafe conditions or conflicts over public funding.