The implications of the Supreme Court's decision to hear a controversial Mississippi abortion case that challenges Roe v. Wade are already being felt. Americans who are likely considering having an abortion but do not have access to abortion clinics in conservative states are taking to the internet to learn about the possibilities of self-induced abortion.
Internet search giant Google has found that searches for self-induced abortions have surged in the past day, when the Supreme Court announced it would decide if states can prohibit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Data reviewed from Google Trends show an increase in searches for a number of abortion-related keywords in the U.S., specifically in states where access to abortion is challenging, or will be prohibited after the Supreme Court's decision, Forbes reported.
Such terms that saw a major spike in searches included abortion medication "misoprostol," which became popular in the state of Mississippi for the first time this year, and "medical abortion" which met Google's "breakout category," as the search term grew by over 5,000%.
These two search terms were the most popular in states such as Mississippi, Idaho, Arizona, Alabama, and Louisiana, which are also states where abortion accessibility is most difficult.
The term "self-induced abortion" also saw an increase in interest, specifically in Idaho. Americans were also looking to know more about plants that were linked to inducing miscarriages, such as red raspberry leaf that saw a 450% increase in searches, St. John's Wort that saw a 400% increase, Mugwort with a 200% increase, and black cohosh, which was also fell into a breakout category. These terms were most searched for in the states of Alaska, Utah, West Virginia and Arkansas.
According to the report, the terms "abortion pills online Amazon" had a 500% increase nationwide, but the data did not specify which states were searching for them the most. Google found a pattern in the recent year that showed an increase search for terms related to self-induced abortion such as "how to have a miscarriage," "self-induced abortion" and "home abortion" in states that do not provide easy access to abortion clinics. These terms were often found to be searched the most in Oklahoma, Mississippi and Louisiana.
On Monday, the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would agree to hear a case that would have grave implications on Roe v. Wade. The case involves a Misssippi measure that aims to prohibit abortions past the 15th week of pregnancy, about two months earlier than what Roe v. Wade allows. The Supreme Court is set to hear the case in their next term that begins in October and may announce a decision in spring or early summer next year.
"The Mississippi Legislature enacted this law consistent with the will of its constituents to promote women's health and preserve the dignity and sanctity of life," Republican attorney general for Mississippi Lynn Fitch said in a statement. "I remain committed to advocating for women and defending Mississippi's legal right to protect the unborn."
