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In the News

The state of Roe v. Wade in 9 charts

Sunday marked the 39th anniversary Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. While Roe provides many protections of a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy, a wave of abortion restrictions last year reshaped access and availability. These graphs and maps look back at how abortion rights, as well as abortion rates, have changed since the Roe decision in 1973.

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Prior to 1973, states determined the legality of abortion. Through the mid-1960s, 44 states outlawed abortion in nearly all situations that did not threaten the life or health of the mother. States began liberalizing their abortion laws in the 1960s and 1970s. This map shows the situation in the early-1970s, when Roe was decided. The four maroon states legalized abortion in nearly all cases before the fetus was viable. The fourteen pink states allowed abortions in some circumstances. Nearly all others continued to ban abortion in nearly all cases.

/ Source: Guttmacher Institute

In 1973, Roe v. Wade legalized first-trimester, elective abortion and also gave some protections to terminations later in the pregnancy. Abortion rates climbed after the decision, a trend that had started in the late 1960s, as states began liberalizing their abortion laws. Abortion rates have now been declining since the 1980s.

In 1973, Roe v. Wade legalized first-trimester, elective abortion and also gave some protections to terminations later in the pregnancy. Abortion rates climbed after the decision, a trend that had started in the late 1960s, as states began liberalizing their abortion laws. Abortion rates have now been declining since the 1980s.

/ Source: Guttmacher Institute

Public opinion on Roe v. Wade has varied significantly in the four decades since it passed, hitting its highest approval ratings in the early 1990s, right around when the Supreme Court issued another decision on abortion, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which ruled many state restrictions on abortion access to be legal. The most recent Harris Interactive Poll on Roe, found public opinion to be evenly split.

Public opinion on Roe v. Wade has varied significantly in the four decades since it passed, hitting its highest approval ratings in the early 1990s, right around when the Supreme Court issued another decision on abortion, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which ruled many state restrictions on abortion access to be legal. The most recent Harris Interactive Poll on Roe, found public opinion to be evenly split.

/ Source: Harris Interactive

Ever since the early 1980s, the number of doctors performing abortions has steadily declined. A number of factors likely contribute to this trend, including state-level abortion restrictions and a wave of violence against abortion providers in the 1990s, when five abortion providers were murdered. The decrease in abortion providers has correlated with a decrease in the rate of abortions.

Ever since the early 1980s, the number of doctors performing abortions has steadily declined. A number of factors likely contribute to this trend, including state-level abortion restrictions and a wave of violence against abortion providers in the 1990s, when five abortion providers were murdered. The decrease in abortion providers has correlated with a decrease in the rate of abortions.

/ Source: Guttmacher Institute

Roe provides widespread protections to elective abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy. But in later rulings, the Supreme Court has allowed states to restrict access to abortion. Since them, states have increasingly restricted access to abortion. In 2011, states passed 92 laws restricting abortion access, more than double the restrictions passed in any other year.

Roe provides widespread protections to elective abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy. But in later rulings, the Supreme Court has allowed states to restrict access to abortion. Since them, states have increasingly restricted access to abortion. In 2011, states passed 92 laws restricting abortion access, more than double the restrictions passed in any other year.

/ Source: Guttmacher Institute

As Americans United for Life's Charmaine Yoest explains, the wave of abortion restrictions last year came from widespread Republican gains in state legislatures in the 2010 election. As these two maps from the Guttmacher Institute show, states that passed the most abortion restrictions tended to be those where Republicans controlled the state legislature and governor's office.

As Americans United for Life's Charmaine Yoest explains, the wave of abortion restrictions last year came from widespread Republican gains in state legislatures in the 2010 election. As these two maps from the Guttmacher Institute show, states that passed the most abortion restrictions tended to be those where Republicans controlled the state legislature and governor's office.

/ Source: Christianity Today, Guttmacher Institute

The most common abortion restrictions that states adopted last year restricted insurance companies from covering the procedure. In 2010, five states had such bans; by the end of 2011, 15 states did. Nine of those bans only apply to insurance plans sold on the Affordable Care Act's health exchanges. Five states also passed laws banning abortion after 20 weeks, up from just one state with such a law the year prior.

The most common abortion restrictions that states adopted last year restricted insurance companies from covering the procedure. In 2010, five states had such bans; by the end of 2011, 15 states did. Nine of those bans only apply to insurance plans sold on the Affordable Care Act's health exchanges. Five states also passed laws banning abortion after 20 weeks, up from just one state with such a law the year prior.

/ Source: ACLU

How abortion restrictions effect abortion rates isn't completely clear. States with fewer abortion restrictions have tended to have higher abortion rates, in part because they include women travelling from out-of-state to terminate a pregnancy. A recent study from the Guttmacher Institute, however, questions the role of restrictions. It found that countries with more liberal abortion laws tend to have lower rates of abortion -- perhaps due to factors like greater access to contraception. That research, slated to be published in a forthcoming issue of Lancet, also found countries with more abortion restrictions to have higher rates of abortion-related deaths.

How abortion restrictions effect abortion rates isn't completely clear. States with fewer abortion restrictions have tended to have higher abortion rates, in part because they include women travelling from out-of-state to terminate a pregnancy. A recent study from the Guttmacher Institute, however, questions the role of restrictions. It found that countries with more liberal abortion laws tend to have lower rates of abortion -- perhaps due to factors like greater access to contraception. That research, slated to be published in a forthcoming issue of Lancet, also found countries with more abortion restrictions to have higher rates of abortion-related deaths.

/ Source: Guttmacher Institute

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