States where abortion is legal, banned or under threat

Access to abortion remains a patchwork of state-by-state policies after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, with abortion restricted across much of the Southern United States. In the six months that followed the ruling, there were an estimated 43,410 fewer legal abortions in states that had bans, according to a recent survey.

New restrictions are continuing to take effect, with Republican-led legislatures pushing to enact bans in some states that have become abortion havens. In April, Florida passed a six-week ban, which will outlaw most abortions in the country’s third most populous state. More restrictions in other states are almost certainly on the way.

States we’re watching in 2023

Current status of abortion access

correction

A previous version of this graphic incorrectly stated that the governors of Pennsylvania and North Carolina are up for re-election. 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’s 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.

Abortion access in America

Tracking abortion access in the United States: Since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, the legality of abortion has been left to individual states. The Washington Post is tracking states where abortion is legal, banned or under threat.

Abortion pills: The court battle over the abortion pill mifepristone, which is part of a two-drug regimen used to terminate early pregnancy, is ongoing. The Supreme Court now has the opportunity to rule on when and how mifepristone can be prescribed and distributed after the Justice Department asked the high court to overturn a lower-court ruling limiting access to the pill. For now, full access to mifepristone will remain in place after a Supreme Court ruling in the spring.

Post-Roe America: With Roe overturned, women who had secret abortions before Roe v. Wade felt compelled to speak out. Other women who were seeking abortions while living in states with strict abortion bans also shared their experiences with The Post through calls, text messages and other documentation. Here are photos and stories from across America since the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

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