© 2024 WFSU Public Media
WFSU News · Tallahassee · Panama City · Thomasville
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Abortions in Florida topped 38,000 in the first six months of 2023

doctor putting on rubber gloves for an examination against the background of a gynecological chair.
KALINOVSKIY/Evgeniy Kalinovskiy
/
stock.adobe.com
Florida's 15-week abortion ban is working through a legal challenge as a 6-week abortion ban awaits the outcome.

Amid a legal battle about the future of abortion rights in Florida, more than 38,000 abortions were performed in the state during the first half of 2023, according to a newly posted report on the state Agency for Health Care Administration website.

The report, dated July 3, said 38,244 abortions had been performed this year.

About one-third of the abortions were performed on residents of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, while 3,390 were performed on women from other states.

Florida lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022 passed a law that prevented abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. They followed up this year by passing a measure aimed at preventing abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

The six-week limit, however, is on hold as the Florida Supreme Court considers a constitutional challenge to the 15-week law.