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(CNN) — Following the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which eliminated a constitutional right to abortion nationwide, nearly two dozen US states have banned or limited access to the procedure. States where abortion is most limited report higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, as well as greater economic insecurity.
All eyes are on Ohio this election cycle, as voters will be deciding whether to add an amendment protecting abortion rights in the state constitution. In a special election in August, Ohio voters rejected an initiative that would have made it harder to amend the state constitution — a critical victory for abortion rights advocates.
The fight over abortion is well underway in state legislatures. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin announced on Sept. 18 that it would resume abortion care services, after a judge ruled that a law from 1849 widely interpreted as an abortion ban did not apply to abortion procedures. The South Carolina Supreme Court in August reversed a temporary block on a “heartbeat bill” — which would ban abortion at the time when a fetus’ heartbeat can be detected, usually as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.
This year, health care providers and abortion activists have continued to file legal challenges to stop bans in several states from being enforced. In July, Iowa banned most abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy, before most people know they are pregnant. A district judge, however, placed a temporary hold just a few days after it went into effect. Abortions remain legal in Iowa until 22 weeks. Also in July, a Wisconsin judge blocked a first-of-its-kind ban on abortion pills a week before it was intended to take effect in the state. Georgia’s six-week abortion ban was stopped last November by a state court, but days later, the state’s Supreme Court allowed the ban to go into effect while an appeal plays out.
As these legal challenges make their way through the courts, patients seeking access to the procedure must navigate a complicated patchwork of legislation, often requiring them to travel hundreds of miles.
Here’s where abortion access currently stands in the United States.
(Graphic: CNN)
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