Changes in Reproductive Health Information-Seeking Behaviors After the Dobbs Decision: Systematic Search of the Wikimedia Database (Preprint)
Authors: Lemieux Mackenzie , Zhou Cyrus , Cary Caroline , Kelly Jeannie 
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND

After the US Supreme Court overturned <i>Roe v. Wade</i>, confusion followed regarding the legality of abortion in different states across the country. Recent studies found increased Google searches for abortion-related terms in restricted states after the <i>Dobbs</i> <i>v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization</i> decision was leaked. As patients and providers use Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation) as a predominant medical information source, we hypothesized that changes in reproductive health information-seeking behavior could be better understood by examining Wikipedia article traffic.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine trends in Wikipedia usage for abortion and contraception information before and after the <i>Dobbs</i> decision<i>.</i>

METHODS

Page views of abortion- and contraception-related Wikipedia pages were scraped. Temporal changes in page views before and after the <i>Dobbs</i> decision were then analyzed to explore changes in baseline views, differences in views for abortion-related information in states with restrictive abortion laws versus nonrestrictive states, and viewer trends on contraception-related pages.

RESULTS

Wikipedia articles related to abortion topics had significantly increased page views following the leaked and final <i>Dobbs</i> decision. There was a 103-fold increase in the page views for the Wikipedia article <i>Roe v. Wade</i> following the <i>Dobbs</i> decision leak (mean 372,654, SD 135,478 vs mean 3614, SD 248; <i>P&lt;</i>.001) and a 67-fold increase in page views following the release of the final <i>Dobbs</i> decision (mean 8942, SD 402 vs mean 595,871, SD 178,649; <i>P</i>&lt;.001). Articles about abortion in the most restrictive states had a greater increase in page views (mean 40.6, SD 12.7; 18/51, 35% states) than articles about abortion in states with some restrictions or protections (mean 26.8, SD 7.3; 24/51, 47% states; <i>P</i>&lt;.001) and in the most protective states (mean 20.6, SD 5.7; 8/51, 16% states; <i>P</i>&lt;.001). Finally, views to pages about common contraceptive methods significantly increased after the <i>Dobbs</i> decision. “Vasectomy” page views increased by 183% (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), “IUD” (intrauterine device) page views increased by 80% (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), “Combined oral contraceptive pill” page views increased by 24% (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), “Emergency Contraception” page views increased by 224% (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), and “Tubal ligation” page views increased by 92% (<i>P</i>&lt;.001).

CONCLUSIONS

People sought information on Wikipedia about abortion and contraception at increased rates after the <i>Dobbs</i> decision. Increased traffic to abortion-related Wikipedia articles correlated to the restrictiveness of state abortion policies. Increased interest in contraception-related pages reflects the increased demand for contraceptives observed after the <i>Dobbs</i> decision. Our work positions Wikipedia as an important source of reproductive health information and demands increased attention to maintain and improve Wikipedia as a reliable source of health information after the <i>Dobbs</i> decision.