One of the most controversial topics in the United States is the legalization of abortion, especially after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe vs. Wade case in 2022. While some people kick against abortion, others support the procedure. The controversies surrounding this issue have reverted the legalization of abortions by the federal law and also stopped its legal protection in many parts of the United States. What this means is that abortion is not available in all states.
In this article, we are going to show you abortion available states as well as where it is restricted. But first, let’s know what abortion is and why it is a controversial issue.
What Is Abortion?
Abortion is a kind of medical procedure that leads to the termination of pregnancy. This may be a good time to state that abortion is not miscarriage because while abortion is a deliberate termination of pregnancy through certain medical procedural performances, miscarriage is the loss of pregnancy that occurred through a natural cause.
So, the difference between the two is that while one is a deliberate act to stop the continuation of pregnancy, the other is accidental, spontaneous and natural . This can explain why abortion is controversial.
What Are the Different Ways of Performing an Abortion?
Medical abortions are usually performed in two different ways. The first method is by taking abortion pills. This is known as medical abortion. Medical abortions are usually administered at early stage, when the pregnancy can easily be flushed out. In most cases, the pill works when the pregnancy is still within the 10th week or earlier than that.
The second method is the surgical abortion, which uses a vacuum aspiration method to evacuate a pregnancy. In most cases, this method is used to terminate pregnancies that are up to 16 weeks. But if the pregnancy is more than 16 weeks, its termination will require a special procedure conducted by professionals.
Who Is Allowed to Have an Abortion in the United States?
One of the critical questions many people ask is whether abortion is accessible to every woman that wants it. Well, currently, the answer is ‘no’ because it is not legal in all the states in the country. That is, since abortion is no longer protected by the federal law, it is not accessible to every woman that wants to go through it.
Who can access an abortion is no longer a federal issue. It is currently within the jurisdiction of each state to determine who should receive an abortion and who shouldn’t.
What we are saying here is that you have to check with the laws of the state you reside in to know the status of abortion. Such critical information is better sought that way.
All the same, later in this article, while giving you information about the abortion available states, we will also let you know who is allowed (or not) to have an abortion in each state.
Who Is Authorized to Perform an Abortion?
When an abortion is performed legally, an authorized medical professional is the person that carries out the procedure. The professionals that can perform an abortion are gynecologists, obstetricians, physicians, and other registered medical practitioners, including specialized nurses.
Controversies Surrounding Abortion
It will be good to look at the controversies surrounding abortion so we will find out why it is not legal in all the states. So, in this section, we are going to find out what abortion supporters and oppositions think about it and why they take their stands.
Arguments in Support of Abortion by the Pro-Choice Group
The group that supports easy access to abortion for every woman that desires it is known as the pro-choice. Here are their arguments for supporting abortion:
- Women should have absolute control over decisions concerning their bodies.
- It is a woman’s right to take decisions concerning her reproductive system.
- Criminalizing abortion marginalizes the minority group and low income earners.
- Abortion is a form of healthcare and not a criminal procedure.
Arguments against Abortion by the Pro-Life
The pro-life group (or the pro-lifers) are the people that kick against abortion. Here are their arguments for taking their stand:
- Abortion is a form of murder because life begins at conception.
- Legalizing abortion is morally wrong because it suggests that life is easily disposable.
- Abortions can cause irreparable damages to the reproductive system.
- Legalizing abortion equals legalizing murder.
Abortion Available States
Today, abortion is legal in 27 states and the District of Columbia but the legal status are different. While some only allow abortions before fetal viability (that is, when a fetus can survive outside the mother’s womb), others grant abortion with no gestational limit. So let’s look at the states under each category.
States that Legalize Abortions before Fetal Viability
A pregnant woman in any of these states can only have an abortion before the fetus is considered viable (that should be before 22 weeks) except if there is a medical issue that requires the termination of the pregnancy to save her life. Below are Abortion legal states:
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Maine
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New York
- Ohio
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wyoming
States with no Gestational Limit
In the following states, abortion is legal at all stages of the pregnancy:
- Alaska
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Vermont
Abortion Restricted States:
Some states fully banned abortion while others banned it at a certain stage of pregnancy. We will use this section to discover which state falls under each category.
States that Fully Banned Abortion
In the following states, abortions are fully restricted. This means there is a full ban on abortion except in cases of medical emergency or when there is a need to preserve the lives of the mother by terminating the pregnancy:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- West Virginia
States that Partially Banned Abortion
In these states, abortions are banned when the pregnancy is up to a certain number of weeks:
- Florida (6 weeks)
- Georgia (6 weeks)
- Iowa (6 weeks)
- Massachusetts (24 weeks)
- New Hampshire (24 weeks)
- North Carolina (12 weeks)
- Pennsylvania (24 weeks)
- South Carolina (6 weeks)
- Utah (18 weeks)
- Wisconsin (22 weeks)
Wrapping It Up
Abortion is fully available in eight states but totally banned in 13 states. In other states, the procedure has varying statuses, but can be accessed legally if the conditions are met. However, it will be good to state here that there are several ongoing law suits concerning the legalization of abortion even in the states have legalized it already. This means that the laws protecting abortion may shift grounds in its available states. What we are saying is that people should always check the legal status of abortion beforehand because the laws can change anytime.
