Access to Abortion for US Military Service Members in 2024 After the <i>Dobbs v Jackson</i> Supreme Court Decision.

Abstract

US military service members have long faced challenges accessing reproductive health care, especially abortion. The 2022 <i>Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization</i> (<i>Dobbs</i>) Supreme Court decision and subsequent state-level abortion policy restrictions have exacerbated barriers to care for many communities, especially those with marginalized identities. To assess the impact of <i>Dobbs</i> on abortion access for US active-duty service members, we launched a qualitative study among active-duty service members who experienced pregnancy and considered or obtained abortion care after the <i>Dobbs</i> decision. Recruitment was challenging, and we completed only 3 interviews. The complexity of accessing abortion care for active-duty military service members has intensified, with long-standing barriers related to insurance, mobility, finances, and confidentiality compounded by post-<i>Dobbs</i> abortion restrictions in states where many service members are stationed and by the failure of policies to provide support. We drew on the existing literature and illustrative quotations from interview participants to explore the impacts of <i>Dobbs</i> on this population and reflected on the need to address barriers to abortion access for active-duty service members-a critical issue for military readiness as well as the health and well-being of service members. (<i>Am J Public Health</i>. 2026;116(7):1038-1043. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308431).