The future of federal abortion data collection is unclear

June 23, 2025

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report indicating that federal tracking of abortion ban impacts has been severely limited and may cease entirely due to changes made during the Trump administration. The CDC's Abortion Surveillance report, which provided crucial data through 2022 when Roe v. Wade was overturned, faces an uncertain future as part of a broader realignment at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Who is affected

People seeking abortions, particularly those with low incomes
Black women living in states with abortion restrictions
Working women with bachelor's degrees
Families relying on social safety net programs
Researchers like Diana Greene Foster whose abortion-related studies lost federal funding
Federal agencies including the CDC and Social Security Administration
Policymakers who lack data to understand post-Roe impacts

What action is being taken

The federal government is currently undergoing an agency realignment that affects abortion data collection
The Social Security Administration's Office of the Chief Actuary is planning to consider abortion restrictions' economic impact in upcoming work
The Trump administration is actively blocking data collection measuring effects of reproductive care access
The government is removing references to abortion from Department of Health and Human Services websites

Why it matters

Without federal data collection, there is no comprehensive way to track the impacts of abortion bans nationally
Research shows abortion restrictions lead to significant expenses for low-income families
Studies indicate people denied abortions experience deeper poverty and take four years to catch up to the employment levels of those who received care
The economic consequences extend to education decisions, geographic mobility, and employment opportunities
The lack of data hampers policymakers' ability to understand how abortion restrictions affect health outcomes, livelihoods, and financial stability

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The 19th