CDC Delays Annual Abortion Report Amid Internal Turmoil

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For decades, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a yearly report tracking abortion trends across the country. 

But this year’s report has been delayed until spring, and the agency says internal changes and staffing issues are to blame.

The report is usually released in late November and includes data voluntarily submitted by states. 

This year’s is expected to be significant, because it will include the first full year of federal data following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended the nationwide right to abortion.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said former CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry stopped the work, claiming she instructed staff to return state-submitted data instead of analyzing it.

Houry denied that, saying the CDC lost key staff after thousands of HHS employees were laid off in April.

“The policy that was proposed by the agency to us — that we signed off on — was that there’s no funding, no staff, and not statutorily required [so] the program can’t do the work,” Houry told CNN. “The politicals were all aware, back in April, that this was one of the programs that couldn’t continue, along with many others.”

An HHS official said Houry did not follow the proper approval process but did not provide more details.

While the CDC report is delayed, non-government researchers are tracking trends in real time. A Dec. 9 report from #WeCount, sponsored by the Society of Family Planning, found that abortions in the U.S. increased after the Dobbs ruling.

The group estimates there were nearly 99,000 abortions per month in the first half of 2025, up about 4% from last year. The biggest change is how people are accessing care. Medication abortions provided through telehealth now make up 27% of all abortions, compared to less than 10% in early 2023.

Many of those were provided under new state shield laws, which allow clinicians where abortion is legal to prescribe medication across state lines. 

In June alone, about 15,000 abortions were provided using those protections, the #WeCount data shows.

“Abortion bans don’t stop people from needing and pursuing essential abortion care,” Dr. Alison Norris, a professor at Ohio State University and co-chair of the #WeCount research project, told CNN.

“Telehealth is helping people in states with bans to access abortion care – and yet it isn’t the answer for everyone. Abortion bans are causing harm, and all too often, your access to health care depends on where you live and how much money you have," she added.

Even though the CDC’s data is often older than other tracking systems, experts say it remains important because it uses the same questions year after year, making long-term trends easier to understand.

“It’s really hard to replace people,” Houry said. “This is the thing that’s happening for any programs that don’t have funding or staff, because I don’t know how you do work if you don’t have funding or staff.”

More information

The Center for Reproductive Rights has abortion laws by state.

SOURCE: CNN, Dec. 9, 2025

What This Means For You

If abortion access affects your care, talk with a provider about your options.