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As of August 17, 2022 State Laws and Policies

State Bans on Abortion Throughout Pregnancy

Background

On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned abortion rights. We are updating this fact sheet as states implement and enforce abortion bans.

Definitions

Last menstrual period (LMP): The beginning of pregnancy calculated from the start of the most recent menstrual period. An average pregnancy lasts approximately 40 weeks from this point.

Postfertilization: The beginning of pregnancy calculated from the date of conception; 20 weeks postfertilization is equivalent to 22 weeks LMP.

Postimplantation: The beginning of pregnancy calculated from the date of embryo implantation; 24 weeks postimplantation is equivalent to 27 weeks LMP.

General health: Defined by an individual doctor and includes the patient’s mental and emotional health.

Physical health: Applies only to the physical function of the patient’s body and may even be restricted to major bodily functions.

Viability: The point at which a fetus can sustain survival outside the uterus. Determined based on the fetus’s developmental progress and may vary by pregnancy. A fetus generally reaches viability between 24 and 28 weeks LMP.

Visit our state legislation tracker for policy activity on all sexual and reproductive health topics.

Highlights

  • 44 states prohibit some abortions after a certain point in pregnancy.
    • 9 states ban abortion.
    • 4 states ban abortion at 6 weeks LMP.
    • 1 state bans abortion at 15 weeks LMP.
    • 1 state bans abortion at 20 weeks LMP.
    • 9 states ban abortion at 22 weeks LMP (20 weeks postfertilization in state law) on the unscientific grounds that a fetus can feel pain at that point.
    • 4 states ban abortion at 24 weeks LMP.
    • 16 states impose a ban at viability.
    • 1 state imposes a ban in the third trimester (beginning at 25 weeks LMP)
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Topic

United States

Geography

State Bans on Abortion Throughout Pregnancy

Statutory limit

State

Exceptions

Life

General
health

Physical
health§

Other

Conception

Alabama

X

 

X

 

 

Arkansas

X

 

 

 

 

Kentucky

X

 

X

 
  Louisiana X   X Lethal fetal anomaly

 

Mississippi

X

 

 

rape 

 

Missouri

X

 

X

 

 

Oklahoma

X

 

 

 

 

South Dakota

X

 

 

 

 

Texas

X

 

 

 

TOTAL IN EFFECT

9

9

 

4

2

6 weeks LMP

Georgia

X

 

X

 

 

Idaho

X

 

X

 

 

Iowa

▼

 

▼

 

 

Kentucky

▽

 

▽

 
  Louisiana ▽   ▽  

 

North Dakota

▼

 

▼

 

 

Ohio

X

 

X

 

 

Oklahoma

▼

 

▼

 
  Tennessee

X

  

X

  

TOTAL IN EFFECT

4

4

 

4

0

8 weeks LMP

Missouri

▽

 

▽

 

TOTAL IN EFFECT

0

0

 

0

0 

12 weeks LMP

Arkansas

▼

 

▼

 

TOTAL IN EFFECT

0

0

 

0

0
15 weeks LMP Florida X   X Lethal fetal anomaly

 

Louisiana

▼

 

▼

Lethal fetal anomaly

 

Mississippi

▼

 

▼

 

TOTAL IN EFFECT

1

1

 

1

 1

18 weeks LMP

Arkansas

▽

 

▽

 

 

Utah

▽

 

▽

Rape, incest, lethal fetal anomaly

TOTAL IN EFFECT

0

0

 

0

0 

20 weeks LMP

Arizona

▼

 

▼

 

 

Montana

▽

 

▽

 

 

North Carolina

X

 

X

 

TOTAL IN EFFECT

1

1

 

1

0

 22 weeks LMP

Idaho‡

▼

 

▼

 

 

Indiana†,*

X

 

X

 

 

Iowa*

X

 

X

 

 

Kansas*,‡

X

 

X

 

 

Kentucky

X

 

X

 

 

Nebraska*

X

 

X

 

 

North Dakota*,†

X

 

X

 
  South Carolina X   X Lethal fetal anomaly

 

West Virginia*

X

 

X

 

 

Wisconsin*

X

 

X

 

TOTAL IN EFFECT

9

9

 

9

2

 24 weeks LMP

Nevada

X

X

 

 

 

Massachusettsβ

X

X

 

Lethal fetal anomaly 

 

New Hampshire

X

 

X

 

 

Pennsylvania†,‡

X

 

X

 

TOTAL IN EFFECT

4

4

2

2

1

Viability

Arizona†

X

X

 

 

 

California

X

X

 

 

 

Connecticut

X

X

 

 

 

Delaware‡

X

X

 

Lethal fetal anomaly

 

Hawaii

X

X

 

 

 

Illinois

X

X

 

 

 

Maine

X

X

 

 

 

Maryland

X

X

 

Fetal anomaly

 

Michigan

X

 

 

 

 

Minnesota†

X

X

 

 

 

Montana‡

X

 

X

 

 

New York

X

X

 

 

 

Rhode Island

X

X

 

 

 

Utah

X

 

X

Rape, incest, fetal anomaly

 

Washington

X

X

 

 

 

Wyoming

X

 

X

 

TOTAL IN EFFECT

16

16

12

3

4

Third trimester

Virginia‡

X

X

 

 

TOTAL IN EFFECT

1

1

1

0

0

▼ Permanently enjoined by court order; law not in effect. Oklahoma's six-week ban was superseded by a total ban.

▽ Temporarily enjoined by court order; law not in effect. Louisiana’s six-week ban only goes into effect if Mississippi’s ban is allowed to take effect.

§ This exception typically permits an abortion when the individual suffers from a condition that risks “substantial and irreversible impairment” or “imminent peril” of a “major bodily function.”

* Based on the assertion that a fetus can feel pain at 18 or 20 weeks postfertilization.

† State requires a second physician to attend an abortion that takes place after the state’s gestational age limit. Minnesota requires the presence of a second physician at or after 20 weeks LMP.
‡ State requires a second physician to approve an abortion if it will take place after the state’s gestational age limit. Idaho and Kansas require approval only for an abortion after viability.

β State law defines pregnancy from the date of embryo implantation.