Abortion Laws 101: A Comprehensive Guide to Current Regulations

As of January 2023, 14 states in the US have prohibited abortion and restricted women's and girls' access to basic healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health

Outlook International Desk

Updated on: 1 September 2023 6:35 am

Abortion Laws in the US (Representational Image)

Since the US Supreme Court decision injuncting the constitutional right to abortion in June 2022, many women and girls in the US have been put at risk due to inadequate access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. Meanwhile, human rights have provided clear rules and guidelines on the need to legalize abortion. This is to ensure access to these services in accordance with human rights. The majority of nations in the world have laws stating when abortion is acceptable.

What is the current scenario of abortion in the US?

In 14 states around the United States, abortion is now prohibited as of January 2023. Fourteen states have abortion laws, which have rendered abortion services unavailable and restricted women and girls' access to basic healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health.

What are the experts saying?

The bans, according to the experts, could result in violations of women's rights to privacy, bodily integrity, and autonomy, as well as freedoms of expression, thought, and religion or belief. They could also result in violations of equality and non-discrimination, as well as freedom from torture, cruel, inhumane treatment, and violence against women based on their gender.

They warned that the Supreme Court's ruling had a chilling effect on medical professionals who might face legal repercussions for their care choices, such as those involving abortions that were medically necessary or life-saving or the removal of fetal tissue from women who had incomplete miscarriages.

The staggering statistics

Between the years 1973 and 1979, the annual number of legal abortions in the US had increased and reached its peak in 1990. Between 2000 and 2009, there was an overall six percent decline in annual abortion rates, with brief peaks in 2002 and 2006. By 2011, the country's abortion rate had reached its lowest level since the Supreme Court had made the procedure legal.?

Individual states now have the freedom to choose their own positions on the frequently argued subject. While lawmakers have pushed to enact a number of additional restrictions and bans over the past year, many of them are being held back from going into force while the courts argue their validity. Access to abortion is now partially limited in some states due to complexity alone due to the unstable nature of the new environment.