Distance Traveled for Abortion at a Southern Tertiary Care Center Following Restrictive Legislation [10J]

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: North Carolina enacted five statutes restricting abortion between 2011 and 2016. Our objective was to compare the proportion of women who traveled more than 25 miles to a southern tertiary care center in 2011 to the proportion of women who traveled more than 25 miles to this center in 2017. METHODS: We conducted a time-series retrospective cohort study of women who obtained an abortion at University of North Carolina Hospitals in 2011 and 2017. We collected data regarding residence, demographics, gestational age, indication, parity, and referral source. Our primary outcome was distance from self-reported residence to the study center. RESULTS: We enrolled 405 women, 143 in 2011 and 262 in 2017; groups were similar in age, parity, and ethnicity. In 2011, 72% (103/143) traveled more than 25 miles, compared with 75% (196/262) in 2017 (P=.473). In 2011, the maximum miles traveled was 290 compared to 420 in 2017. More women from neighboring states were seen in 2017 than 2011. Women seeking abortion in 2017 were four times more likely to have been referred from a freestanding abortion clinic compared with women in 2011 (38% [39/262] vs 9% [13/143]). CONCLUSION: In our tertiary care center, there was no difference in distance traveled for abortion before and after the legislative changes. However, the increased number of women seen from outside health centers and neighboring states following the legislative session may indicate additional barriers to abortion access, potentially related to increased time commitment, number of visits, and number of open clinics.