In June 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, eliminating the federal right to abortion. As the US abortion access landscape continues to shift rapidly, this page compiles Guttmacher’s relevant policy and research resources that reflect the ongoing impact of abortion bans and restrictions.
In response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Guttmacher Institute launched an innovative research initiative to track monthly estimates of clinician-provided abortions in states without total bans.
Data from the Monthly Abortion Provision Study feed directly into our US Abortion Provision Dashboard. This highly visual interactive tool displays abortion counts from the beginning of 2023 to the present, as well as data on out-of-state travel for abortion.
Explore the US Abortion Provision Dashboard
Latest Data Confirm People Are Traveling Farther Distances to Access Abortion Care Post-Dobbs
On June 4, 2024, our acting co-CEO, Destiny Lopez, testified before the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions at a hearing entitled “The Assault on Women’s Freedoms: How Abortion Bans Have Created a Health Care Nightmare Across America.” Destiny shared powerful testimony connecting the dots between the Dobbs decision and ongoing attacks on reproductive health and freedom at the state and federal levels.
Read Destiny’s full testimony here.
On June 12, 2024, our data scientist Isaac Maddow-Zimet testified in front of the US Senate Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights at a hearing titled, “Crossing the Line: Abortion Bans and Interstate Travel for Care After Dobbs.” Isaac’s impactful testimony highlighted the consequences of the Dobbs decision and shared evidence on changes in out-of-state travel for abortion care.
Medication abortion is safe, effective, widely used, and has become critical for abortion care in the United States. Now that the US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, targeting medication abortion use has become a central strategy of the anti-abortion movement. Everyone deserves access to abortion care on their terms and according to their needs and preferences.
Policy Analysis: Medication Abortion Accounted for 63% of All US Abortions in 2023—An Increase from 53% in 2020
Op-ed: Why a flawed study on medication abortion was retracted
Policy analysis: Medication Abortion Within and Outside the Formal US Health Care System: What You Need to Know
Policy analysis: Mifepristone for Abortion in a Global Context: Safe, Effective and Approved in Nearly 100 Countries
More people are seeking medication abortion via online clinics since the fall of Roe v. Wade, but brick-and-mortar clinics still provide more than 80% of clinician-provided abortions in the United States.
Our analysis shows the number of brick-and-mortar clinics in the United States decreased by 5% between 2020 and March 31, 2024, despite an increase in abortions between 2020 and 2023. State policymakers must continue to develop and pass laws that support providers and protect access to abortion care.
For decades, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) has ensured meaningful access to emergency health care for everyone. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, the Biden administration reiterated that EMTALA protections include abortion access, even in states where abortion is banned. In June 2024, the US Supreme Court chose to preserve federal protections for emergency abortion care for the time being, but similar threats to EMTALA could emerge in the future.
Amicus brief: The Guttmacher Institute Joins Amicus Brief Calling on the US Supreme Court to Protect Abortion Care in Emergency Situations
Op-ed: The Anti-Abortion Movement is Showing Its True Colors
In 2023, the first full year since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, state legislatures took key action on reproductive health policies, especially on abortion, gender-affirming care and contraception. The US abortion landscape became even more fractured and many anti-abortion policymakers escalated attacks on gender-affirming care, highlighting that these attacks on reproductive health and autonomy are connected. The analysis also outlines innovative policy solutions some states have enacted to protect and expand abortion access for all.
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.
Policy analysis: Inequity in US abortion rights and access
Policy analysis: The exacerbation of wealth disparities after Dobbs
Young people in the US have always faced steep barriers to abortion care. These barriers have only increased since the Dobbs decision two years ago. Guttmacher experts break down our latest research and policy findings on adolescents’ access to abortion care.
The harm of Florida's abortion ban and every ban always falls hardest on people who face systemic barriers to health care and have the fewest resources. Watch our video for more on what this 6-week ban means for Florida and the entire Southeast.
A virtual discussion on the global impact of the Dobbs decision, with four panelists hosted by the Guttmacher Institute at Women Deliver 2023
Provides an overview of the disproportionate impact that abortion bans and restrictions have on people already facing systemic racism and economic inequality.
Provides an overview of abortion policies in the US since Roe v. Wade was overturned
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.
Provides an overview of U.S. abortion patients by age, income and parental status
Provides an overview of U.S. abortion patients by race and religion
This library contains articles and analyses detailing the changing landscape of US abortion rights and access from 2016 to now. Its contents map key abortion patient trends, explain the consequences of harmful policy changes, and highlight coalition efforts to restore reproductive rights and justice since Roe was overturned.
Everyone deserves legal affirmation and protection of their rights to sexual and reproductive health, freedom and justice.