States where abortion is legal, banned or under threat

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Updated May 1, 2024 at 12:01 a.m. EDT|Published June 24, 2022 at 10:23 a.m. EDT

Access to abortion remains a patchwork of state-by-state policies nearly two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, with abortion restricted across most of the Southern United States.

New restrictions are continuing to take effect, even in states that have long been havens for those seeking abortions. A six-week ban took effect in Florida on May 1 after the state’s conservative Supreme Court ruled that its constitution does not protect abortion rights, banning most abortions in the third-most-populous state. More restrictions elsewhere are almost certainly on the way.

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 recent 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

correction

A 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.

U.S. abortion access, reproductive rights

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 and the election: Voters in about a dozen states could decide the fate of abortion rights with constitutional amendments on the ballot in a pivotal election year. Biden supports legal access to abortion, and he has encouraged Congress to pass a law that would codify abortion rights nationwide. After months of mixed signals about his position, Trump said the issue should be left to states. Here’s how Biden and Trump’s abortion stances have shifted over the years.

New study: The number of women using abortion pills to end their pregnancies on their own without the direct involvement of a U.S.-based medical provider rose sharply in the months after the Supreme Court eliminated a constitutional right to abortion, according to new research.

Abortion pills: The Supreme Court seemed unlikely to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone. Here’s what’s at stake in the case and some key moments from oral arguments. For now, full access to mifepristone will remain in place. Here’s how mifepristone is used and where you can legally access the abortion pill.