It should be noted that there are reasons to question the reliability and accuracy of the data. The data that appears in the JAMA article are self-reported by organizations that provide chemical-abortion pills through the mail or outside a formal medical setting. These organizations support legal abortion. They have an interest in showing that pro-life lawsfail to prevent abortions. They also have an interest in showing that there is a high demand for self-managed chemical abortions when strong pro-life laws are passed.

Furthermore, taking the data at face value, we see that chemical-abortion pills ordered does not necessarily equal chemical abortions obtained. Some women who ordered chemical-abortion pills might have changed their minds about obtaining an abortion. Others might have requested a chemical-abortion pill for future use. In their calculations, the researchers do consider how often chemical-abortion pills are used. However, much of the usage data is either estimated or self-reported.