abortion access after roe v. wade and its aftermath
Shortly after the roe v. wade decision was overturned, abortion bans spread across eleven states, primarily in the South and Midwest. States such as Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas moved to prohibiting the procedure outright. Others opted to restrict access to six weeks of pregnancy, including Georgia, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
About a month after the ruling, a study by the Guttmacher Institute found that clinics in North America stopped offering abortions in at least 43 instances, reflecting the strong shift in policy and access. Before these changes, a total of 71 centers provided abortion services across the eleven states; one month later, only 28 clinics remained, all concentrated in the four states that enforce a six-week ban. In short, access diminished by 43 clinics in a single month.
abortion data from 2020
Looking back to 2020, seven states in question reported a combined total of 80,500 abortions, averaging roughly 6,700 abortions per month according to a separate study from the same research body. With the expansion of bans, many people seeking abortion services found themselves traveling to neighboring states to obtain care, or facing the option to manage the procedure where allowed or continue with pregnancy as circumstances dictated.
In states that cap access at six weeks, the practical impact can be less obvious. Some individuals may not realize they are pregnant in the early weeks, which means those four states that apply a six-week limit effectively widen the gap between policy and actual access for many residents.
the complexity of access
Access to abortion has always been highly situational and varies widely based on personal circumstances. As time passes, restrictions continue to evolve, creating a shifting landscape for those seeking care. The ability to obtain a procedure depends on multiple factors, including location, timing, and the legal framework in place at the state level.
Update: Wyoming temporarily blocked its total abortion ban, allowing abortion services to resume in the state. The situation prompted updates to an interactive map reflecting the latest policy changes. According to public commentary from the Guttmacher Institute, changes like these illustrate the ongoing volatility in access across the country: Guttmacher Institute (July 27, 2022) update.
States such as Kentucky and Florida began restricting access to abortion services at around 15 weeks of pregnancy. Meanwhile, Wisconsin faced ongoing legal uncertainty about entitlement. In total, about 26 states were considering further restrictions following the overturn of roe v. wade, underscoring the broader trend toward reduced access across the nation.