Roe at 40: Barriers to Abortion Access

On January 22, 2013, the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that nationally legalized abortion is 40 years old.  Because there is a lot of misinformation and disinformation surrounding one of the most politicized women’s health issues, I am sharing some of the infographics from the Guttmacher Institute in the days leading up to this landmark.

Here is the second one, focusing on barriers to accessing abortion that exist across the United States.  In subsequent posts, I will highlight how these barriers disproportionately impact women based on income, race, and ethnicity.

A few points worth emphasizing:

87% of counties in the United States have no abortion provider.

Specific barriers between a woman and a safe, legal abortion include unnecessary waiting periods, unnecessary and often invasive ultrasounds, and insurance bans.

Nineteen states enacted restrictions on abortion in 2012 alone.

Please visit the Guttmacher website for more data and information.