The Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in the summer of 2022 — releasing the states to make their own laws about abortion care. For that reason, access to abortion care varies widely from state to state. While we cannot speak to specific options in your location, we can provide a general overview on how to find care depending on your circumstances.
How can I find out what the laws are in my area?
Abortion access varies depending on your state — and in many places your pregnancy trimester, your provider, and your age. In some states, if you’re a minor, you’ll need one or both of your parents’ consent. You can find a state by state breakdown here.
What’re my options if I’m in my first trimester?
Those looking to end a pregnancy earlier than 10 weeks will likely find the abortion pill to be the best option. It’s FDA approved and in 2020 accounted for over half of U.S. abortions.
The most common “abortion pill” is a combination of Oral mifepristone (Mifeprex) and oral misoprostol (Cytotec). The former is used to prevent the embryo from growing, and the latter is used to release the embryo from your body.
To find out if this is a good option for you, reach out to your provider or your local clinic or check out ohttps://www.abortionfinder.org.
Those who get the abortion pill from a provider will likely take Mifeprex in their provider’s office and the Cytotec later at home. You’ll return to your provider’s office after about a week so they can confirm the abortion is complete.
What if I’m farther along?
Second trimester abortion is uncommon, with 8 percent of abortions performed between 14 to 20 weeks and only 1.3% of abortions performed at 21 weeks or later. It must be performed surgically via a D&E at a hospital or clinic. D&Es is banned as a method in some states. Find a breakdown here.
To make an appointment, contact your doctor or local clinic. If your state has an abortion care ban or restrictions that limit care in the second trimester, it might be a good idea to explore clinic and Planned Parenthood chapters in nearby states. There are funds that can help cover costs associated with seeking out-of-state care — learn more here.
What’re the legal risks?
The risks associated with seeking the abortion care from a state that bans abortion are still unclear as are the risks of traveling across state lines to seek a surgical abortion. Abortion pill providers continue to ship pills to states where abortion care is banned, but this could change. Companies whose operations are based overseas have more freedom to continue to ship pills than those based in the U.S.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
Read more:
Sources
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “Medical abortion.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic. July 29, 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/medical-abortion/about/pac-20394687.
- Lauren Cross and others. “Medication Abortion Now Accounts for More Than Half of All US Abortions.” The Guttmacher Institute. The Guttmacher Institute. February 24, 2022. https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2022/02/medication-abortion-now-accounts-more-half-all-us-abortions.
- “How much does the abortion pill cost?” Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood.
- https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/the-abortion-pill/how-much-does-abortion-pill-cost.
- “Second-Trimester Abortion.” American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). ACOG. June 2013. https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-bulletin/articles/2013/06/second-trimester-abortion.
Ovia’s goal is to support the health and wellness of our members throughout their reproductive health journeys. Ovia cannot, however, encourage or discourage the very personal decision of whether to have an abortion or counsel on whether and how an abortion may be performed in a particular case. Abortion may or may not be legal in your state and in your particular personal situation. None of the information made available through Ovia is intended to provide you with legal advice regarding abortion. Ovia may refer you to third-party websites or publications for additional information on reproductive health issues, including abortion. Ovia is not affiliated with these third parties and is not responsible for any information that they make available to you.
