Abortion research group opposes state reporting requirements amid 'weaponization' by lawmakers

Pro-life advocates object to the Guttmacher recommendation.

"Rolling back state-mandated abortion reporting would be a serious mistake," Mia Steupert, research associate at Charlotte Lozier Institute, a pro-life research group, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

"Considering Dobbs placed the authority to enact protections for unborn children in the hands of the American people and their elected representatives at the federal and state levels, it's critical to have access to good data so that the impact of those abortion policies can be evaluated," Steupert said, referring to the 2022 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

The normative practice of abortion data collection comes primarily from states that report their numbers to the CDC. The data is then compiled to give a snapshot of how many abortions there are nationwide, the age of the mother and how far along she was. However, while most do, not every state requires abortion providers, hospitals and other medical providers to report their numbers.

Currently, 46 states and the District of Columbia have some form of mandated abortion reporting, according to the institute. California, Maryland, Michigan and New Jersey do not require reporting.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Guttmacher said their "recommendation isn't an argument against states collecting abortion data, but a discussion of the risks and burdens of how it's collected." 

"Ending government-mandated abortion reporting does not contradict the collection of rigorous and accurate abortion data. We urge states to consider changing their laws and regulations to switch to voluntary models of data collection, which can produce high quality data while protecting the safety and privacy of patients and providers. We strongly oppose the intrusive and punitive federal abortion reporting mandate laid out in Project 2025," the spokesperson said. 

The report comes nearly three years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade - the 1973 decision guaranteeing a woman's right to abortion - and many states have since enacted abortion bans.