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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long been the nation’s primary source for tracking abortion trends, compiling state-submitted data for more than five decades. However, this year’s annual report — expected to offer the first comprehensive federal insight into abortion patterns after major national policy shifts — has been postponed until spring due to significant internal disruptions at the agency.
Since 1969, states and jurisdictions have voluntarily shared abortion data with the CDC, which typically releases the finalized analysis in late November. Instead of the usual schedule, this year’s report has stalled, and federal leaders are placing blame.
Conflicting Accounts Behind the Delay
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), former CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry is responsible for halting progress by instructing staff to return datasets submitted by states rather than reviewing them. Houry strongly disputes this accusation.
She explains that sweeping layoffs at HHS earlier in the year left the CDC without the personnel needed to process the data. After thousands of employees were cut in April, Houry joined a transition management group tasked with organizing communication and operational responses across the agency. During this period, she says, new rules required that all external communication — including routine interactions with state health departments — receive approval from a politically appointed communications office.
Houry maintains that CDC leadership openly acknowledged in April that the abortion surveillance program could not continue under the new staffing and funding constraints. She says the program was among several halted operations, and this was communicated to senior political staff.
HHS officials, however, claim she overstepped by shutting the program down without proper approval. The department has not clarified when or how it learned of the alleged disruption.
Leadership Turmoil at the CDC
The delay comes during a turbulent year for the agency. Dr. Susan Monarez, who briefly served as CDC director, was dismissed only weeks after taking office. Her removal triggered a wave of resignations from senior officials, including Houry, who cited censorship concerns, communication bottlenecks and increasing political interference in public health operations.
The now-postponed abortion report is expected to contain data through 2023 — the first full calendar year following the Supreme Court ruling that eliminated federal abortion protections.
Outside Researchers Track Post-Dobbs Trends
As federal reporting falters, independent researchers have stepped in to monitor abortion access. A recent #WeCount report, produced by the Society of Family Planning, shows continued increases in abortion numbers nationwide after the Dobbs decision.
During the first half of 2025, the United States averaged nearly 99,000 abortions per month — roughly 4% higher than the previous year’s monthly average. While most procedures still occur in clinics, the rise has been driven entirely by medication abortions provided through telehealth services.
In early 2025, telehealth accounted for 27% of all abortions in the US health system, a steep increase from under 10% just two years earlier. Much of this growth comes from providers operating under “shield laws,” which allow clinicians in states where abortion remains legal to prescribe medication abortion to patients residing in states with bans. In June alone, shield-law-protected clinicians facilitated nearly 15,000 abortions.
Why the CDC Data Still Matters
Although CDC surveillance reports tend to lag behind real-time research, experts say the consistency of the data collection makes it invaluable. The agency uses standardized questions year after year, enabling long-term analysis that other datasets cannot offer.
But with the loss of experienced staff, Houry warns that such specialized work cannot easily continue.
“You can’t run a program without the people trained to do it,” she said. “Without staff and funding, the work simply can’t happen.”
