9/17/2024
Following the US 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.
The fight over abortion is well underway in state legislatures and courts. Most recently, a state judge struck down North Dakota’s ban, legalizing abortion until viability. There are, however, no remaining clinics in the state, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights. Earlier, a six-week ban went into effect in Iowa on July 29, replacing the previous 22-week limit.
In June, the Supreme Court ruled to allow emergency abortions in Idaho for now and unanimously rejected a lawsuit challenging the Food and Drug Administration’s approach to regulating mifepristone, the first of two drugs used in medication abortion. The abortion pill will continue to be available to patients via mail, without an in-person doctor’s visit.
CNN is tracking these legal challenges as they make their way through the courts. Here’s where abortion access currently stands in the United States.