Adolescence and young adulthood are critical periods for developing one’s identity, as young individuals explore who they are and whom they want to become. They do this by engaging with the world around them, considering social issues, and understanding their society and their place within it. Laws and policies communicate to young people what society values, their role, and their future opportunities. However, growing up after the overturning of Roe v. Wade differs significantly from the previous 50 years, which ended in 2022. Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, more than half of U.S. adolescents between 13 and 19 years old now live in states where legal abortion access is severely limited or unavailable. Consequently, today’s youth are navigating what one health law and bioethics expert calls an “era of rights retractions.”
As a developmental psychologist and population health scientist specializing in adolescent development and sexual and reproductive health, I can see from various indicators that the experience of adolescence and young adulthood in America has fundamentally changed after Dobbs. Abortion prohibitions are influencing not only those seeking an abortion but are also impacting an entire generation. In 2022, my team conducted a nationwide survey of young people aged 14 to 24, starting soon after the Supreme Court’s opinion in the Dobbs case was leaked. We asked about their awareness of the Dobbs decision, their feelings concerning it, and its perceived impact on young people in their state. Our findings indicate that the majority of young people are aware and concerned about the implications of the Dobbs decision.
Our research and other emerging data clearly show that abortion limitations not only affect those who become pregnant or seek an abortion. These restrictions also influence young people’s thoughts on voting, deciding where they want to live, study, and work, and how they manage their fertility. Abortion restrictions may severely impact young people’s mental health as well. Approximately 8 million young people will be eligible to vote in 2024, with research suggesting they are the most supportive of abortion rights. Abortion remains a key issue motivating young voters, as highlighted by Change Research’s recent national poll, which found that 3 out of 4 young voters believe abortion should be legal in most situations. More than 50% of young voters stated they would not support a candidate whose stance on abortion differs from theirs. During the 2022 midterm elections, young people cited abortion as the primary issue influencing their vote. The way these young voters cast their ballots could significantly affect the 2024 election on both national and state levels.
High school seniors are contemplating abortion access when choosing colleges, with over 70% factoring reproductive health care access into their decision. Abortion access also plays a role for those entering the workforce, as a recent national survey found two-thirds of young workers unwilling to live in states with abortion bans. Another survey discovered that 60% of young women are more inclined to relocate to another state due to abortion bans or would consider moving if their state imposed such a ban. Post-Dobbs, young people’s access to contraceptive services is evolving. In March 2024, a Texas appeals court ruled that the state could restrict providing contraception to minors without parental consent at Title X clinics, which receive federal funding to offer confidential contraception regardless of age, income, or immigration status. This decision eliminated the only means of confidential contraception for teens in that state. Recent research my colleagues conducted with college students in several southeastern U.S. states reveals concerns about potential further legal restrictions on contraception. In our study, one young respondent said, “I worry these changes foreshadow stricter laws regarding contraception and health care. I’m concerned for the rights and well-being of those like me and those who are less fortunate.”
Some young individuals have already opted for permanent measures to prevent pregnancy, with notable increases in those selecting permanent sterilization, such as vasectomies or tubal ligations. This trend was prominent even before Dobbs, but following the decision, one substantial national study found a 20% increase in the rate of tubal ligations, which continues to rise nearly twice as fast as before Dobbs. These actions suggest that some young people want to eliminate the possibility of pregnancy in the absence of comprehensive reproductive health care. Emerging data indicates that mental health outcomes are poorer in states with abortion bans. For example, a recent extensive national study analyzed changes in mental health symptoms before and after the Dobbs decision, comparing individuals living in states with trigger abortion bans versus those in states without. A trigger ban is a law activated once Roe v. Wade’s legal precedent was no longer applicable. The study found that women aged 18 to 45 in states with trigger bans experienced significant increases in anxiety and depression symptoms following the Dobbs decision compared to women in states without such bans. Unfortunately, the study did not examine young people under 18, nor did it separately evaluate young adults, who have most childbearing years ahead, to assess their experiences. Excluding young people from research and grouping them with older adults is a recurring issue in studies about abortion access and its consequences—highlighted as problematic in a recent expert consensus report. Scholars anticipate that mental health effects resulting from reproductive health care restrictions will be worse for historically marginalized groups, including young people.