Views on abortion in the U.S.- statistics & facts
Abortion became legal in the United States in 1973 after the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision established a federal right to the procedure. Roe ruled the right to an abortion before fetal viability is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution particularly under the provision of "liberty," which also safeguards individual privacy. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the historic Roe v. Wade ruling, ending 50 years of constitutional protection for abortion. Opinion polls throughout 2022 found that the public strongly opposed overturning the Roe v. Wade ruling and a 2023 Gallup poll found the proportion of Americans who believe that abortion is morally acceptable is more than half. Although a recent poll indicated that Americans largely view abortion as a matter of individual rights and freedoms, there are significant partisan differences among voters in this regard.
Globally, studies have shown that restrictive abortion laws do not end abortion, but instead force women to seek the procedure outside of the healthcare setting which could be unsafe. A considerable majority of Americans oppose a law that bans medical abortion, and polls suggest that most Americans are dissatisfied with the patchwork of abortion policies and want less strict laws.
Abortion legalization
The overturning of Roe v. Wade had profound and immediate consequences and prompted a wave of state legislative activity across the nation. Abortion is currently restricted based on gestational age in 27 states, with prohibitions spanning from six weeks to more than 24 weeks. In 14 additional states, abortion is banned with narrow exceptions. As of May 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court has two significant pending cases to decide on, one of which concerns access to the abortion drug mifepristone. The court’s decision will impact access to medication abortion through telemedicine; the other case pits Idaho state law against federal law and centers around medically necessary abortion under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA).Globally, studies have shown that restrictive abortion laws do not end abortion, but instead force women to seek the procedure outside of the healthcare setting which could be unsafe. A considerable majority of Americans oppose a law that bans medical abortion, and polls suggest that most Americans are dissatisfied with the patchwork of abortion policies and want less strict laws.
