According to Pew, 61% of Americans believe that abortion should be legal in most or all cases. Despite that, 58% of our states are hostile or very hostile to reproductive freedom and 90% of Americans live in a county without an abortion provider.

The Guttmacher Institute categorizes each state from “Very Hostile” to “Very Supportive” based on six categories of abortion restrictions or protections.

Six abortion restrictions:

• Ban pre- or post viability abortions in violation of constitutional protections.
• Require in-person abortion counseling followed by a waiting period before the procedure (thereby requiring at least two trips to the facility).
• Restrict Medicaid coverage for abortion.
• Prohibit the use of telemedicine to provide medication abortion.
• Limit access to abortion for those younger than 18 without parental involvement.
• Impose unnecessary and onerous abortion clinic regulations.

Six protective policies:

• Affirm a right to abortion in the state constitution.
• Establish a legal standard that protects access to abortion.
• Guarantee abortion coverage through Medicaid.
• Allow advanced practice clinicians to provide abortion by law or Attorney General Opinion.
• Mandate private health insurance plans cover abortion.
• Protect access to abortion clinics.

To learn more about this research, visit The Guttmacher Institute website.