Which States Have Restricted Access to Abortion During a Pandemic?
As with all health services during a pandemic, patients’ ability to access abortion services fluctuates day by day, and the situation is exacerbated by the ongoing efforts of anti-abortion activists . Many states have used the pandemic as an excuse to restrict access to abortion , the reason being that abortion is a routine medical procedure.
In contrast, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said in a statement : “Abortion is an essential component of comprehensive health care. It is also a temporary service, for which a delay of several weeks, and in some cases even days, can increase the risks or potentially make it completely unavailable. The consequences of the inability to have an abortion strongly affect the life, health and well-being of a person. “
At the time of this writing, a total of 11 states have tried to circumvent abortion restrictions , but with mixed results. Several states, including Alabama, Iowa, Ohio and Oklahoma, passed bans that were subsequently blocked by a federal judge , meaning abortion is still legal. Other states such as Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia have proposed bans that are still in legislative process, which means abortion services are available for now. Alaska, Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas have partial bans and limited abortion services. And just yesterday, the Kentucky legislature voted to give the state attorney general the power to ban abortion services during a pandemic , although no such ban has yet been put in place.
Bearing in mind that this is an unstable situation that changes every day, this is what patients who may need an abortion in these conditions should know right now.
Banned states
In Alabama, Ohio and Oklahoma, abortion bans were blocked by a temporary restraining order issued by a federal district court. The American Civil Liberties Union challenged a similar ban in Iowa, and leading government officials settled out of court and allowed abortion services to continue. In these states, abortion is still legal to the extent that it is permitted by their applicable laws and with whatever protective measures have been taken by abortion clinics.
States with a current ban
Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia have bans, which means abortion services are limited and problems continue. In Louisiana, the governor suspended him for 30 days, and clinics recently filed a federal lawsuit. Mississippi and West Virginia have a ban on electoral procedures that was supposed to include abortion. In both of these states, clinics still offer abortion services.
States with a current ban
Both Alaska and Texas have abortion bans, which creates a particularly difficult situation for residents who need abortion services right now, given how large these states are and how far people will have to travel to gain access to medical care. the time when we were ‘All of us were advised to limit our movements as much as possible. In Texas, this has led patients to seek abortion services , even by resorting to measures such as driving a car or flying to neighboring states; there have also been reports of women trying to terminate pregnancies on their own . In Alaska, the ban is even more problematic as patients cannot easily travel to another state.
In Arkansas and Tennessee, where bans also apply, the situation is not much better; clinics only offer limited services, but they are at least closer to neighboring states where abortion services have not been limited. As of yesterday, Arkansas’ ban has been blocked by a judge , although it is too early to say whether the decision will be overturned or not. Tennessee is also facing legal problems with their ban.
This is a situation that changes by the hour , sometimes even by the minute: doctors report that they are required to cancel appointments for patients while they are sitting in their waiting rooms, while some patients come to appointments only to find that the clinic was shuttered or, having received a call the night before, their abortion procedure was canceled. There will undoubtedly be more changes even between the submission of this article and its publication.
Needless to say, this is an unstable situation with no simple solution that plagues vulnerable patients in the midst of the worst pandemic we have seen in a century.