Kansas sees staggering rise in abortions as nearby states ban them
TOPEKA — Demand for abortion in Kansas skyrocketed by 58% during 2023 in response to near-total bans on the procedure in Missouri and Oklahoma and strict limits in other Midwest states.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says Kansas documented 7,849 abortions in 2021. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade and the 2019 Kansas Supreme Court’s opinion that women had a state constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy were factors in the rise in Kansas abortions to 12,319 in 2022.
Kansas’ total of abortions substantially escalated in 2023 to 19,467, KDHE said, for the 58% uptick compared to 2022.
In 2022, nonresidents received 8,475 abortions. The number of out-of-state patients reached 15,111 in 2023. In terms of Kansas residents, last year’s 4,356 abortions was an increase of 512 from 2022.
“Access to abortion shouldn’t depend on zip codes, but legal battles in states like Arizona mean that access to care is hanging in the balance,” said Trust Women, which operates a clinic in Wichita.
Passage of a Missouri constitutional amendment in November to reestablish reproductive freedom could have an influence on nonresident abortions in Kansas during 2025.
“The courts are thoughtfully reviewing years of complex anti-abortion laws and bans in Missouri,” said Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “While this process takes time, rest assured we are committed to continue fighting for Missourians’ access to their new constitutional right.”
In 2019, the Kansas Supreme Court held the state’s Bill of Rights contained the right to control one’s own body and exercise self-determination. The justices said this fundamental state right included decisions about pregnancy.
Soon after reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposed amendment to the Constitution that would have opened the door to more strict abortion laws.
Danielle Underwood, spokeswoman for Kansas For Life, said the state’s two-year increase in abortions didn’t represent interests of Kansans.
“Anyone who says this is what Kansans voted for is a liar and on the wrong side of history,” Underwood said. “The surge of abortions in Kansas is a heartbreaking reminder of the abortion industry’s relentless targeting of vulnerable women who are no longer protected by enforceable informed consent laws or basic abortion facility inspection and safety standards.”
In 2024, the state Supreme Court struck down anti-abortion statutes, including the ban on a second trimester procedure and laws regulating abortion providers more aggressively than other health professionals. Under current standards, an abortion in Kansas may be performed up to 22 weeks of pregnancy.
In 2024, Nebraska voters inserted a 12-week ban into its state constitution. Iowa enforces a six-week ban. Missouri and Oklahoma have been prohibiting abortion except to protect individuals from life-threatening situations.
Last year, KDHE reported, 69% of Kansas resident abortions occurred prior to nine weeks of gestational age. About 90% were prior to the 13th week, KDHE said. Eighty-five percent of women receiving Kansas abortions last year were unmarried.
KDHE said the abortion ratio of 128 per 1,000 live births for Kansas residents in 2023 was 14.5% higher than the ratio of 111.8 per 1,000 live births in 2022. The ratio had dropped from 151 abortions per 1,000 live births in 2004.
During 2023, Kansas recorded 34,041 live births among residents of the state. The rate per 1,000 people in Kansas was the lowest since state officials began tracking the figure in 1912.
The number of Kansas pregnancies for individuals under 20 years of age in 2023 was 2,041, down 2.6% from 2022. It represented the lowest pregnancy rate for this age group in 20 years.