Most Restrictive Middle Ground Most Protective
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.