About a quarter of U.S. states have banned or restricted abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned. But elsewhere, lawmakers are moving to ensure that access to the procedure remains guaranteed, and to accommodate out-of-state providers and patients. There are currently at least 25 states and Washington, D.C., which have measures in place to protect abortion access. Some are weighing steps to expand access and prepare for a likely influx of out-of-state patients seeking care. In 2022, a total of 364 bills and executive orders were introduced to protect abortion access in 33 states and Washington, D.C., according to data from the Guttmacher Institute provided to Axios. Approximately six in 10 U.S. adults (61%) believe abortion should be legal in "all or most cases," according to a survey from the Pew Research Center.
Abortion is protected by state law in more than 20 states, many of which have expanded access to abortion by making it more affordable, broadening the types of providers able to offer care, and protecting abortion providers and access to clinics. Access to abortion enables people to make the decisions that are right for them. Furthermore, the ability to control if and when to have a child has lifelong economic consequences not only for the people directly impacted, but also their families and communities. The states that have increased access to abortion clincs from 2011-2017 are California, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and New Mexico.
There are many different types of abortion clinics, like planned parenthood health centers, hospitals, surgical abortion centers, and independent abortion clinics. All these clinics have been fighting to stay open since the reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Independent abortion clinics have been very successful with this fight as they collectively provide the majority of abortion care in the United States, serving three out of every five people who has an abortion.