The Current Landscape: Abortion Restrictions Shame, Pressure, Punish Women

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Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, states have passed more than 1,000 laws against abortion. Just since 2010, states have enacted 334 anti-abortion laws, with more being passed almost every day.
Some elected officials say they would not punish women for having an abortion – but legislators and laws across the country already shame, pressure, and punish women who have decided to have an abortion.
Share this information with your friends and family – women need to know the current landscape in which we’re living.
(See Guttmacher Institute analysis).
The map below shows the extent to which a state has enacted one of types of abortion restrictions that affect virtually every woman who seeks an abortion there. These laws affect whether a woman must delay her abortion, if she is subjected to medically inaccurate information and tests she may not need, and to what degree her insurance is banned from covering the procedure, as well as whether clinics and physicians who provide abortions must meet medically unjustified building standards and contracts with local hospitals.[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”” bottom_margin=”” sep_color=”” icon=”” width=”” class=”” id=””/][fusion_text][/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_checklist icon=”fa-minus-circle” iconcolor=”#ea7217″ circle=”no” circlecolor=”#919191″ size=”small” class=”” id=””][fusion_li_item icon=”fa-minus-circle”]RESTRICTION: A doctor is required by law to give a woman medically inaccurate information about abortion, such as that abortion causes breast cancer.
STATES AFFECTED: AK, AR, GA, IN, KS, LA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NC, OK, SD, TX, UT, WV
Guttmacher Institute, State Policies in Brief: An Overview of Abortion Laws, 2016[/fusion_li_item][fusion_li_item icon=””]RESTRICTION: A woman must wait 24 to 72 hours before having an abortion. She will often have to make multiple, medically unnecessary trips to her provider.
STATES AFFECTED: AL, AZ, AR, FL, GA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WI
Guttmacher Institute, State Policies in Brief: An Overview of Abortion Laws, 2016[/fusion_li_item][fusion_li_item icon=”fa-minus-circle”]RESTRICTION: Clinics that provide abortions must meet building structure standards designed for new hospitals or ambulatory surgical centers — or they are shut down.
STATES AFFECTED: AL, AZ, AR, CT, FL, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MS, MO, NE, NC, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA
Guttmacher Institute, State Policies in Brief: Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers, 2016[/fusion_li_item][fusion_li_item icon=””]RESTRICTION: A doctor or a clinic must have a transfer agreement or admitting privileges at a local hospital, even if local hospitals refuse to grant such agreements for abortion providers.
STATES AFFECTED: AL, AZ, AR, FL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MS, MO, NE, ND, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI
Guttmacher Institute, State Policies in Brief: Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers, 2016[/fusion_li_item][fusion_li_item icon=””]RESTRICTION: Insurance plans are banned from covering abortion in almost all circumstances.
STATES AFFECTED: AZ, ID, IN, KS, KY, MI, MO, NE, ND, OK, UT
Guttmacher Institute, State Policy Report: An Overview of Abortion Laws[/fusion_li_item][fusion_li_item icon=””]RESTRICTION: Medicaid is banned from covering abortion in almost all circumstances.
STATES AFFECTED: AL, AR, CO, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MS, MO, NE, NV, NH, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WY
Guttmacher Institute, State Policies in Brief: An Overview of Abortion Laws, 2016[/fusion_li_item][fusion_li_item icon=””]RESTRICTION: A doctor is required to perform an ultrasound, whether or not it is medically necessary. In most states, the doctor must ask the woman if she wants to view it or require her to view it or listen to a description of the image.
STATES AFFECTED: AL, AZ, FL, IN, KS, LA, MS, NC, OH, TX, VA, WI
Guttmacher Institute, State Policies in Brief: Requirements for Ultrasound[/fusion_li_item][/fusion_checklist][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]