Impact of Dobbs v. Jackson on Public Interest in Alternative Reproductive Procedures: Insights From Google Trends

ABSTRACT Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization was one of the most pivotal cases regarding reproductive health and women's rights in recent history. The case resulted in the removal of the constitutional right to abortion for women across the United States. This study analyzes how the case influenced Google search trends for widely searched reproductive health terms. Google search volumes for five popular reproductive surgeries were collected between June 2020 and June 2024, 2 years before and after the overruling of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. The search terms included were “salpingectomy,” “vasectomy,” “tubal ligation,” “vasectomy reversal,” and “hysterectomy.” Google search trends provided data for each of the terms on a scale from 0 to 100. The terms were then compared in terms of popularity to determine which procedure was most popular in relation to the case. Significant spikes in interest were found for all the search terms in response to the decision. In general, searches for hysterectomy ( R 2 = 0.3658) had the greatest interest, followed by vasectomy ( R 2 = 0.1722). The remaining terms had minimal interest in comparison, with tubal ligation ( R 2 = 0.0314), vasectomy reversal ( R 2 = 0.037), and salpingectomy ( R 2 = 0.7034) following in order of greatest to least interest. The findings highlight the significant impact the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision had on public interest in reproductive procedures. These insights show how judicial rulings, legislative changes, and media coverage shape public interest in reproductive health across the United States.