How many steps it takes to get an abortion in each state

August 24, 2019 (Axios): How many steps it takes to get an abortion in each state, Orion Rummler, Aida Amer:

Each year states devise and pass more and more restrictions on access to abortion -- from mandatory waiting periods to required viewing of an ultra sound.  While legislatures consider each new restriction on its own, people who need abortion care experience the collective impacts of multiple restrictions. And, collectively these restrictions can create an undue burden to abortion access, as delay, travel time and cost, days off from work, childcare all add up.

To illustrate the barriers placed in the path of a person seeking abortion care, Axios has published piece showing how many steps it takes to get an abortion in each state.

Women and transgender men must take 5-8 steps to get an abortion in the most heavily regulated states. They often have to wait at least 24 hours after seeking an abortion, attend counseling against the decision and take at least 2 trips to a facility — and in 6 states, only 1 such facility is available.

Based on statistics from Guttmacher Institute, Axion charts restrictions in each state to conclude that

 

• Virginia is the most restrictive state in the U.S. for minors under 18, who must take 8 steps to have an abortion by obtaining parental notification and parental consent.
• Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia are the most restrictive states for adults over 18.

In addition,

• Utah, South Dakota, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Missouri have the longest wait times before one can undergo the procedure, clocking in at 72 hours.