Many post-Dobbs abortion concerns have not materialized, says expert

David N. Hackney, a professor of reproductive biology and division chief of maternal‑fetal medicine, reflects on the four years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. He notes that several of the dire predictions made at the time have not come to pass.

He had anticipated that abortion rates would drop sharply, that infant and maternal mortality would worsen, and that physicians in heavily restricted states would relocate. While those expectations were logical, they required extensive data to confirm.

Recent observations, according to Hackney, show that many of those worst‑case outcomes have not materialized. He argues that advocates should ground their arguments in fundamental freedoms and values rather than relying solely on statistical forecasts.