Roe v. Wade Overturned: Our Latest Resources
Abortion Rights and Access in the Post-Roe Era
The US abortion access landscape continues to shift rapidly in the wake of the Supreme Court’s radical decision to overturn Roe v. Wade with Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June 2022.
Roe v. Wade was the landmark 1973 case affirming the constitutional right to abortion. Dobbs eliminated that right and precipitated an unparalleled crisis in abortion rights and access. Everyone deserves legal affirmation and protection of their rights to sexual and reproductive health, freedom, and justice.
This page compiles our full body of data and analysis on the abortion policy landscape, levels of abortion access and need, and the impacts of abortion restrictions and bans. These resources are free to use with proper attribution to the Guttmacher Institute.
Abortion Access Interactive Map
Guttmacher’s interactive map is an up-to-date guide on abortion policies in every US state.
It provides an at-a-glance overview of the abortion policy landscape while detailing each state's current protective or restrictive policies, plus key demographic and abortion-related statistics.
Abortion Access Inequity: Our Research
The abortion landscape is fragmented and increasingly polarized. Since the fall of Roe, many states have abortion restrictions or bans in place that make it difficult, if not impossible, for people to get care. Other states have taken steps to protect abortion rights and access.
Research has long indicated that abortion bans have the greatest impact on people in marginalized groups who already struggle to access health care, including abortion.
Wealth disparities also shape the US abortion landscape by determining access at every level, from contraceptive care to abortion care. Even before the fall of Roe, individuals living in states that were likely to ban abortion in the absence of constitutional protections faced substantial financial barriers to obtaining an abortion
Infographics
Videos
Get the Facts on Medication Abortion in the United States
Medication Abortion Using Mifepristone Is Safe, Effective and Widely Used
Provides on overview of the facts on medication abortion and why mifepristone is a critically important part of abortion provision in the United States.
Who Has Abortions in the United States? Part 1
Provides an overview of U.S. abortion patients by age, income and parental status
Who Has Abortions in the United States? Part 2
Provides an overview of U.S. abortion patients by race and religion
Attacks on Medication Abortion: Policy Analysis
In addition to attacking abortion rights through state and federal legislative action, anti-abortion activists continue to weaponize the judicial system. One of the most prominent attacks is aimed at trying to revoke FDA approval of mifepristone, one of two drugs in the most common medication abortion regimen.
Background Information
Amicus Brief by More than 200 Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice Organizations
The Guttmacher Institute has joined other leading organizations in the fields of reproductive health, rights and justice to submit this brief opposing the decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, a baseless case that threatens to remove or restrict access to mifepristone nationwide. The brief details the decision’s potentially devastating impact on abortion provision and urges the Supreme Court to block the lower courts’ rulings. The brief stresses that the impacts and burdens of this decision will fall hardest on communities most impacted by systemic racism and other forms of oppression and that the lower courts’ decisions are contrary both to law and to the immense wealth of medical evidence demonstrating that mifepristone is safe and effective.
Read the amicus brief (April 2023)
Even Before the Overturning of Roe, People Seeking Abortions in Restricted States Faced Major Obstacles to Care
The Guttmacher Institute’s sixth Abortion Patient Survey provides baseline data about the experiences of people seeking abortion care in the 12 months before Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022. The data show that, even before the fall of Roe, individuals living in restricted states, defined as those that were likely to ban abortion in the absence of constitutional protections, faced substantial financial barriers to obtaining an abortion.
Read the study and the news release (April 2023)
Guttmacher’s Key Resources on Medication Abortion as Legal Battle Rages
On April 7, less than 10 months after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a federal judge in Texas known for his strong anti-abortion views handed down a decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration that attempts to revoke FDA approval for mifepristone. If the decision is allowed to stand, it will likely push abortion care further out of reach for many people, especially those from marginalized communities, even in states where abortion is legal.
Read the analysis (April 2023)
Inequity in US Abortion Rights and Access: The End of Roe Is Deepening Existing Divides
Abortion access in the United States has long been inequitable, due in large part to systemic racism and insufficient protections for low-income individuals. This analysis shows that these disparities are widening following the fall of Roe v. Wade and compiles additional evidence on a wide range of topics related to inequity in abortion access.
Read the analysis (January 2023)
Here’s How State Policymakers Can Protect and Expand Abortion Rights and Access in 2023
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, policymakers at the state level have an even more critical role to play in protecting and expanding abortion access and rights. This analysis outlines eight measures that state policymakers should advance this year, including how some states have already implemented these protections to shore up abortion rights and access in the face of growing restrictions.
Read the analysis (January 2023)
Six Months Post-Roe, 24 US States Have Banned Abortion or Are Likely to Do So
The legal landscape on abortion has shifted dramatically since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. Our new analysis shows that 24 states have banned abortion or are likely to in the coming months, in contrast to 26 states as we predicted in October 2021. The decrease is a result of recent victories for abortion rights in Michigan and South Carolina that no longer make those states likely to enact a near-total abortion ban soon.
Read the analysis (January 2023)
In a Devastating Year for Abortion Access, US Supreme Court’s Decision to Overturn Roe Leads to Bans, Confusion and Chaos
Marked by the unprecedented US Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, 2022 was a devastating year for abortion rights and reproductive health generally. Without Roe, abortion is banned or unavailable in 14 states, depriving 17.8 million women of reproductive age, as well as transgender and nonbinary people, access to critical health care in their state. The analysis also discusses important changes around maternal health, pregnancy and state ballot initiatives.
Read the analysis (December 2022)
Focusing on Exceptions Misses the Harm of Abortion Bans
Since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, much of the US abortion debate has focused on whether state abortion bans include exceptions that allow the procedure in some circumstances, such as rape, incest or life-threatening pregnancy complications. In a new op-ed for Ms. magazine, Elizabeth Nash of the Guttmacher Institute breaks down why focusing on these exceptions misses the bigger picture and even works to further the agenda of the anti-abortion movement.
Read the op-ed (December 2022)
Guttmacher Institute Releases 2020 Abortion Provider Census with Important Data on US Abortion Landscape Before the Fall of Roe
Guttmacher’s 19th Abortion Provider Census is the most comprehensive data collection effort on abortion provision in the United States. The census is based on data collected from 1,603 facilities that provided abortions in 2019 and 2020. The full report, published in the journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, offers a critical perspective and new data on abortion provision in the United States before the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Key findings include that in 2020 the long-term decline in abortions reversed and medication abortion accounted for more than half of all US abortions.
Read the study and the news release (December 2022)
Access to Comprehensive Reproductive Health Care Is an Adolescent Health Issue
In a post for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia PolicyLab blog, Sarah Wood and Guttmacher Vice President for Research Aletha Akers discuss the emerging repercussions for adolescents of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The authors draw insights from research on the impact of restrictions on reproductive health care for adolescents, particularly for racial and ethnic minorities. The authors conclude with recommendations for child health researchers, clinicians and policymakers to improve adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health care access and outcomes in the absence of Roe.
Read the commentary (November 2022)
In the US Midterm Elections, Resounding Victories for Abortion on State Ballot Measures
The stakes for abortion access were high in this year’s US midterm elections. Voters in five states—California, Michigan, Vermont, Kentucky and Montana—decided on abortion-related ballot measures and came down decisively in favor of abortion rights and access.
Read the analysis (November 2022)
100 Days Post-Roe: At Least 66 Abortion Clinics Across 15 States Have Stopped Offering Abortion Care
October 2 marked 100 days since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a decision that has resulted in states across the nation severely restricting access to abortion. New Guttmacher research found that 100 days after the June 24 decision, 66 clinics across 15 states have been forced to stop offering abortions, further deepening inequities in access to care.
Read the analysis (October 2022)
Undoing of Roe v. Wade Leaves US as Global Outlier on Abortion
The US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has resulted in a chaotic legal landscape and restrictions on the rights of millions. It also bucked the global trend toward liberalizing abortion laws—a progressive trajectory that will continue only through a commitment to evidence-based policies designed to support sexual and reproductive rights.
Read the analysis (August 2022) and the related commentary in BMJ (August 2022)
One Month Post-Roe: At Least 43 Abortion Clinics Across 11 States Have Stopped Offering Care
In the first month following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, 11 states–all in the South and Midwest–had banned abortion completely or implemented a six-week ban. Our latest research shows that by July 24, the number of clinics offering abortions in these 11 states dropped by 43, from 71 to 28. These clinic closures will further deepen inequities in access to care.
Read the analysis (July 2022)
Even Before Roe Was Overturned, Nearly One in 10 People Obtaining an Abortion Traveled Across State Lines for Care
New data on out-of-state travel for abortion care provides essential context to understand the major shifts in abortion rights and access in the United States that have taken place in 2021 and 2022, notably the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The data show that almost one in 10 people who got an abortion in 2020 traveled out of their home state to get care—a proportion that is likely to increase in a post-Roe US.
Read the analysis (July 2022)
US Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade – Guttmacher Statement
On June 24, 2022, anti-abortion ideologues on the US Supreme Court explicitly overturned Roe v. Wade. The decision will have enormous consequences for pregnant people across a wide swath of US states, who will now find it extremely difficult—and in many cases impossible—to get the care they want and need. Marginalized communities will be hit the hardest by this far-reaching decision.
Read the statement (June 2022)
State Policy Trends at Midyear 2022: With Roe About to Be Overturned, Some States Double Down on Abortion Restrictions
Even before a leaked US Supreme Court draft opinion made it clear that a majority of the justices are poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, abortion-related measures had soared to the top of state legislative agendas in the first six months of 2022. Many of these laws sharply curtail abortion rights and access, and some criminalize actions that help someone seek an abortion. At the same time, a number of states passed legislation to protect and expand the right to abortion care.
Read the analysis (June 2022)
Long-Term Decline in US Abortions Reverses, Showing Rising Need for Abortion as Supreme Court is Poised to Overturn Roe v. Wade
The 30-year decline in abortions in the United States has reversed, according to new findings from Guttmacher’s Abortion Provider Census. In 2020, there were 8% more abortions nationwide than in 2017. Abortion incidence increased in all regions of the country and varied widely across and within states. These new findings highlight a growing need for abortion care in the United States just as the Supreme Court appears likely to overturn or gut Roe v. Wade. The most marginalized communities that already struggle to access abortion care bear the brunt of policies that aim to restrict or ban access to abortion care. An increase in abortion is a positive development if it means people are getting the health care they want and need. Rather than focusing on reducing abortion, policies should center the needs of people and protect their right to bodily autonomy.
Read the analysis (June 2022)
13 States Have Abortion Trigger Bans—Here's What Happens When Roe Is Overturned
Thirteen states have laws in place that are designed to take effect automatically or by quick state action if Roe no longer applies—Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. While all such “trigger” laws have the same intent of banning abortion, their implementation mechanisms, timelines and other details differ. Our analysis discusses these important details for all 13 states.
Read the analysis (June 2022)
Here's How Philanthropy Can Protect Access to Abortion in a Post-'Roe v. Wade' World
In a new op-ed in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Guttmacher experts detail priority areas where philanthropists should urgently make investments to support and protect access to abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The authors argue that the leaked Supreme Court opinion makes clear that now is the time for philanthropists who believe in social justice and human rights to support abortion access, protect those likely to be harmed by abortion bans and work toward restoring strong policies.
Read the op-ed (May 2022)
Leaked Draft of US Supreme Court Opinion Would Overturn Roe v. Wade Outright
On May 2, Politico published a leaked draft of the Supreme Court majority decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that would explicitly overturn Roe v. Wade and 50 years of the Court’s own legal precedent upholding the constitutional right to abortion. This news release includes a statement by Dr. Herminia Palacio and highlights the consequences if the Court issues a similar decision to this draft version, including that 26 states are certain or likely to move quickly to ban abortion.
Read the news release (May 2022)
2022 State Legislative Sessions: Abortion Bans and Restrictions on Medication Abortion Dominate
With the US Supreme Court poised to weaken or overturn Roe v. Wade, 2022 is shaping up to be a devastating year for abortion rights and access. More than 500 restrictions have been introduced since the start of state legislative sessions in January. Two key themes emerging are anti-abortion policymakers’ continued pursuit of various types of abortion bans and restrictions on medication abortion. Many state legislatures have also introduced measures to protect or expand abortion rights and access to care. Our experts continually update this guide to help readers keep track of the latest abortion laws.
Read the analysis (March 2022)
State Policy Trends 2021: The Worst Year for Abortion Rights in Almost Half a Century
Conservative-led state legislatures enacted a record 108 abortion restrictions in 19 states in 2021. These legislatures also focused on passing measures that restrict voting access and enacting discriminatory policies against LGBTQ individuals, especially transgender youth. At the same time, some state legislatures expanded access to reproductive health services. More than half of the states increased access to pregnancy and postpartum care; many of these new provisions were designed to reduce racial disparities in maternal mortality. Several states now allow pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives or medication that helps prevent HIV. And a few states expanded access to abortion services, primarily by repealing restrictions.
Read the analysis (January 2022)
Why This Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Matters So Much: Reflections from Guttmacher Experts
Since Roe v. Wade was decided by the US Supreme Court in 1973, the right to an abortion has been increasingly hollowed out, making it a right on paper only for far too many people. However, while Roe alone is far from enough, it is still a crucial safeguard and the foundation on which to build a future where all people can get the care they need, want and deserve. Our experts reflect on what this anniversary means to them.
Read the resource (January 2022)
Texas Abortion Ban Foreshadows the Potential Fate of Half the Nation
In a new op-ed, Herminia Palacio of the Guttmacher Institute and Jamila Perritt of Physicians for Reproductive Health detail the barriers for Texans seeking an abortion in the wake of the state’s ban at six weeks of pregnancy. The dire situation in Texas offers a glimpse of what could be in store for nearly half of the nation, as the US Supreme Court hears a case about Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban that challenges Roe v. Wade. Depending on how the Supreme Court rules, millions of people could lose the right to get an abortion in their home state.
Read the op-ed (November 2021)
Resources for Journalists: 15 Things to Consider When Covering Abortion, the Supreme Court and a Potential “Post-Roe World”
The US abortion policy landscape is undergoing major shifts. Here are 15 key ideas for journalists, whether new or experienced with the topic, to consider as they write about the future of abortion rights in the country.
Read the resource (November 2021)
New Evidence: Texas Residents Have Obtained Abortions in at Least 12 States That Do Not Border Texas
Guttmacher researchers have new survey data showing the immediate and far-reaching impact of Texas’ ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy (S.B. 8). Excluding the four states that border Texas, 11 states and the District of Columbia had an increase in the number of abortions provided to Texas residents. These included states that are hundreds, and even thousands, of miles from the Texas border, such as Illinois, Washington, Ohio and Maryland.
Read the analysis (November 2021)
26 States Are Certain or Likely to Ban Abortion Without Roe
If Roe v. Wade were overturned or fundamentally weakened, 21 states have laws or constitutional amendments already in place that would make them certain to attempt to ban abortion as quickly as possible. An additional five states have political composition, history and other indicators—such as recent actions to limit access to abortion—that show they are likely to ban abortion as soon as possible without federal protections. This analysis details which states are in each category and the types of restrictions they have passed.
Read the analysis (October 2021)
For the First Time Ever, U.S. States Enacted More Than 100 Abortion Restrictions in a Single Year
Through early October 2021, states have enacted 106 abortion restrictions. This is the highest number of restrictions passed since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, and this year is also the first time that Guttmacher’s count of enacted restrictions has hit triple digits. Earlier this year, the number of state abortion restrictions had already surpassed the previous record of 89 restrictions set in 2011.
Read the analysis (October 2021)
Amicus Brief by the American Public Health Association, Guttmacher Institute and others
Signed by almost 500 individual scholars and public health professionals, the American Public Health Association, the Guttmacher Institute and the Center for U.S. Policy. The brief demonstrates that abortion is an essential component of reproductive health care, explains the far-reaching public health consequences of previability abortion bans and shows how abortion bans would disproportionately affect marginalized populations.
Read the amicus brief (September 2021)
Amicus Brief by Social Science Experts
Signed by more than 100 social scientists with extensive experience conducting and publishing peer-reviewed research about the safety, incidence and health impacts of abortion. The brief demonstrates that abortion is a common and safe medical procedure, explains why Mississippi’s abortion ban would increase risks to pregnant people’s health and safety, and documents why the ban would disproportionately impact marginalized populations. The brief further details how denying access to abortion has negative socioeconomic consequences.
Read the amicus brief (September 2021)
Mississippi Is Attacking Roe v. Wade Head On—the Consequences Could Be Severe
In this report, Guttmacher experts estimate how many people nationwide obtain abortions at or after 15 weeks of pregnancy and calculate driving distances for Mississippi residents seeking an abortion under further restrictions. The analysis describes how distances to reach an abortion clinic would dramatically increase, along with the burdens on those seeking abortion care, if the state’s 15-week abortion ban is upheld or if Roe v. Wade is fundamentally weakened.
Read the report (August 2021)
State Policy Trends at Midyear 2021: Already the Worst Legislative Year Ever for U.S. Abortion Rights
By July, 2021 had set the record for the worst year for abortion rights at the state level. In this analysis, our experts tally 90 restrictions enacted in the first six months of this year, detail the onslaught of attacks on transgender health and rights, and spotlight states that have been proactive in safeguarding abortion access and improving maternal health.
Read the analysis (July 2021)
Abortion Is at the Supreme Court Again. It's Different This Time
In this Scientific American op-ed, Guttmacher state policy expert Elizabeth Nash details what’s at stake when the U.S. Supreme Court hears a case on Mississippi’s unconstitutional 15-week abortion ban.
Read the op-ed (June 2021)
Abortion Service Delivery in Clinics by State Policy Climate in 2017
This study explores several aspects of abortion care, including cost, gestational parameters and types of other services that clinics offer. The researchers found that most abortion facilities provide a range of other health care services, but the number of clinics offering these services was higher in states with policies supportive of abortion.
Read the study (October 2020)
Gestational Age Bans: Harmful at Any Stage of Pregnancy
Gestational age bans are a favored tactic of antiabortion activists and politicians as they seek to undermine and ultimately overturn the constitutional right to abortion. This analysis outlines how these policies are harmful by placing an arbitrary deadline on abortion care with no consideration for the health, circumstances or well-being of those seeking abortion.
Read the analysis (January 2020)
Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2017
Guttmacher’s most recent data on abortion in the United States found that abortion reached its lowest rate nationally since Roe v. Wade, continuing a trend of long-term decline. The report also documented changes in the number and location of abortion providers, with an increase in the Northeast and the West and decrease in the Midwest and the South.
Read the report (September 2019)
Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients in 2014 and Changes Since 2008
This report lays out the sociodemographic characteristics of U.S. abortion patients, including age-group, relationship status, race and ethnicity, nativity, education level, prior births, income level, religion, sexual orientation and insurance coverage.
Read the report (May 2016)