Self-managed abortion has improved access to safe and effective abortions. While the practice is on the rise around the world, many countries impose significant legal restrictions on abortion access. These laws regulate various aspects of abortion, including: the grounds upon which individuals are permitted to obtain an abortion; who may provide an abortion; the tests that health professionals are required to administer before an abortion may be provided; and where an abortion is legally permitted to take place.
This dataset provides a general overview of 12 regulatory areas related to abortion in the United States, and includes laws, case law, and attorney general opinions in effect as of December 1, 2019.
This legal map identifies the procedural protections established by laws and regulations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia that protect the conscience rights of health care providers in the context of reproductive health care services, with a particular emphasis on immunity from civil liability and limitations on provider rights in cases where patients are likely to be harmed. It captures the relevant features of laws in effect as of December 2019.
Although Roe v. Wade (1973) currently protects the right to an abortion at the federal level, some states have enacted additional legal protections for individuals seeking abortion. Some states have laws prohibiting any interference with a woman exercising her right to obtain an abortion prior to viability, or when necessary to protect the life and health of the woman. Additionally, there are state court opinions that interpret provisions of their state constitution to similarly protect the right to an abortion up to viability.
One way states regulate abortion access is through a patchwork of restrictions on government funding of abortion services. These can include broad restrictions on any funds passing through state agencies, bans on the use of government facilities for abortion or participation by government employees in the providing abortion services, and restrictions on Medicaid funding of abortion, among others. Under current federal policy, states are required to use state Medicaid funds for abortion services in the limited circumstances of life endangerment, rape, or incest.
This dataset explores laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia that address insurance coverage restrictions for abortion in effect as of December 1, 2019, as well as case law and attorney general opinions that affect the enforceability of these laws.
This dataset explores abortion refusal laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in effec as of December 1, 2019, as well as case law and attorney general opinions that affect the enforceability of these laws.
This dataset captures laws that protect access to abortion clinics in effect as of December 1, 2019, as well as case law and attorney general opinions that affect the enforceability of these laws.
This dataset captures laws that address requirements for medication abortion procedures in effect as of December 1, 2019, as well as case law and attorney general opinions that affect the enforceability of these laws.
State abortion waiting period laws require an individual seeking abortion to wait a specified time period after receiving mandatory counseling, usually between 24 to 72 hours, before they can obtain the procedure. The mandatory counseling that must occur prior to obtaining an abortion goes beyond the customary informed consent that is generally required for all medical procedures, and sometimes includes misleading information regarding abortion.
