The state of abortion access a year after SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade

A year ago today, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and erased the nearly 50-year-old federal protection for abortion access. And even with a leaked draft alerting the country of the decision a month before it came down, how exactly abortion access would change around the country was still an open question.

Now, a year in, here’s where we’re at:

Restrictions started immediately…25 states have passed new abortion restrictions in the past year. And of those, 13 have passed near-total or total abortion bans, some with no exceptions for rape or incest.

On the flip side…20 states have passed laws protecting abortion rights. But being a safe haven for abortion seekers can come with its own challenges. Planned Parenthood of Illinois saw a 54% spike in patients over the last year, and one clinic in Kansas City has received so many out-of-state patients that it’s only able to help 10%–15% of people seeking abortions at its facility.

If it feels hard to keep track of what’s legal where, it’s because it is. Since the beginning of 2023, 700 bills concerning abortion (about half aiming to restrict it and half hoping to protect it) have been introduced in state legislatures, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

What’s next?

Possibly another major SCOTUS ruling: The battle over mifepristone, a pill used in medication abortions—which have become more common since the court’s decision, is currently making its way through the courts and will likely end up with SCOTUS, along with a few other abortion-related cases.

More attention from politicians: A Gallup poll from last week shows public support for first-trimester abortion has never been higher, reaching 69%, and when new restrictions have been part of ballot initiatives, voters have shot them down—even in Republican-controlled states like Kansas and Kentucky. So, you can expect Democrats to make it a key issue in the 2024 election. In 2022 midterm ads, abortion was mentioned 500% more than in 2020 presidential election ads, according to Bloomberg.