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ROCHESTER — In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court opinion on Roe v. Wade, researchers from the University of California San Diego wanted to find out whether the number of internet searches for abortion drugs changed. The did a study and found it surged to an all-time high.
Using Google search trends, the researchers identified searches in the U.S. that used the term "abortion pill" or the names of abortion medications.
Results showed that during the time period right after the SCOTUS leak (May 1 to May 8, 2022), about 350,000 internet searches for abortion medication happened in the US. And many searches originated in states with abortion restrictions.
The researchers say that heightened interest in abortion drugs should alert physicians that patients may pursue this option with or without them. And that information about how to safely and legally get abortion medication should be accessible on line. They also say on-going surveillance of changing abortion laws should be readily available.
The study is published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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For more information about abortion medication, check out this related story.
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