Access to abortion remains a patchwork of state-by-state policies nearly three years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, with abortion restricted across most of the Southern United States.
The battle over abortion access that was once fought in state houses are now playing out in voting booths and courtrooms. In some states, voters have opted to protect abortion rights through constitutional amendments, in others, similar measures have failed. Judges in several states are weighing legal challenges to bans, temporarily blocking them in the meantime. And across all states, the abortion landscape remains polarized.
Many women in antiabortion states are continuing to find ways to access abortion, despite the bans. More abortions are occurring now than before Roe was overturned, according to reports from the Society of Family Planning and the Guttmacher Institute, both of which support abortion rights. Every month, thousands of women in states with bans are obtaining abortion pills through websites or community-based distributors.
“In the post-Dobbs era, healthcare providers in some states are forging innovative new solutions to provide abortion access,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a professor at the University of California who studies abortion pills. “Telehealth abortion is now a central pillar in the abortion care landscape.”
Current status of abortion access
correctionA previous version of this graphic incorrectly stated that the governors of Pennsylvania and North Carolina are up for reelection. They are term-limited.
Bonnie Berkowitz, Nick Mourtoupalas and Eugene Scott contributed to this report.
About this story
Weeks of pregnancy are calculated since the last menstrual period. Fetal viability is generally considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks, but there is no universal consensus. Life endangerment is defined differently in different states. Medical emergencies can include cases of severely compromised health, endangerment or physical health conditions.
Sources: Post reporting; Elizabeth Nash, principal policy associate for state issues at the Guttmacher Institute; Center for Reproductive Rights; Census Bureau. Edited by Kevin Uhrmacher and Peter Wallsten. Copy edited by Carey L. Biron.
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