You can decide where to start your life and where to call home, but decisions about your ultimate home — your own body — may no longer be yours to make. Welcome to reality in the U.S. after Roe v. Wade. Here’s how to navigate it.
Avril Louise Clarke
The Center for Reproductive Rights
FuRen Bemis
The Center for Reproductive Rights
No matter where you are in life, the decision about whether and when to be pregnant should be your own. However, the current legal landscape on abortion in the United States makes it hard to know your abortion rights and how to navigate access.
At the Center for Reproductive Rights, we believe that every person should be able to get the healthcare they need on their own terms and in their own community, free from government interference. Here are the facts you need to make informed decisions about your body, life, and future.
What is abortion?
Abortion is a common, safe, and effective form of reproductive healthcare to end a pregnancy, accessed in a healthcare facility or with medications like mifepristone and misoprostol.
Is abortion safe?
Yes! Abortion care, including medication abortion, is extremely safe and effective — safer than many common medical procedures like wisdom tooth removal and medications like Tylenol. Not only is it safe, but it’s common: 1 in 4 women in the United States will have an abortion in their lifetime.
Why might someone decide to have an abortion?
Everyone’s circumstances are unique. There are countless reasons why someone might decide to have an abortion, and every reason is valid and influenced by many different factors. What matters most is that it’s a decision each one of us should have the freedom to make for ourselves, without outside interference.
Isn’t abortion illegal in the U.S.?
No! Fourteen states have banned abortion outright and several more have made it difficult to access. However, abortion is legal and accessible in the rest of the states.
Since the Supreme Court took away the constitutional right to abortion, these 14 states have made abortion illegal:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- West Virginia
Seven more states and one territory ban abortion before 15 weeks of pregnancy, with four of those banning abortion as early as six weeks.
What states have protected abortion?
The following states have enacted interstate shield laws that protect people who access abortions and their healthcare providers from legal actions when they obtain abortions outside their home state:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Hawai’i
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
- Washington D.C.
Abortion is protected in additional states like Michigan, Kansas, Montana, and Ohio.
What else is at risk when it comes to our reproductive rights?
All reproductive rights are under threat. It’s not just about abortion — access to contraception, IVF, and other reproductive healthcare is also at risk. These services provide the foundation for a safer and more empowered sex life and the freedom to decide if, when, and how to have children. Increasing restrictions across the country are impacting choices about your body and future. Regardless of where you live or choose to live, you deserve the right to access quality health care.
Regardless of where you live or choose to live, you deserve the right to access quality health care.
