Abortion Access in Your State: A Quiz

Here’s news you’ve been fearing.

It’s a matter of when, not if, Roe v. Wade will be overturned.

Without Roe, the legality of abortion in the United States is left up to individual states—a chilling prospect, given that more than 100 state-level abortion restrictions were enacted in 2021 alone.

It’s important to know what a post-Roe abortion access landscape will actually look like. Even with Roe, people in all states, red or blue, face substantial barriers to abortion care. Dismantling these barriers is critical to preparing for a post-Roe world, but you can’t effect change unless you know what the current situation is.

This exercise will arm you with accurate, up-to-date knowledge about the status of abortion access in your state—plus resources and organizations that can help you take action.

You can do this exercise for your state or for a different state. And check back whenever you hear about a new law that affects abortion access. See below for links and resources.

The State of Abortion in ______ (your state as of ___________(today’s date).

First, look up the abortion restrictions in your state.

Does your state require minors to involve their parents in order to get an abortion? YES / NO

Does your state require a waiting period? YES / NO

If yes,

… does it require a separate clinic visit before the actual abortion appoint- ment? YES / NO

… how long do you have to wait? ____ hours

Does your state ban any specific abor- tion procedures or delivery methods (e.g. telemedicine abortion)? YES / NO

If so, please specify:

Abortion is legal until: ____ weeks LMP*

Now find out where you can get an abortion in your area.
Anti-abortion activists have made it dif- ficult and confusing to get care. There are more than six anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs) for every one abortion clinic in the U.S., which makes it challenging to figure out where to seek services.

Go to Google and see what comes up when you search “abortion clinic [your city name].” Take a careful look at the results.

Number of clinics on the map: _______ Number of real abortion clinics: ______ Number of crisis pregnancy centers: ___

Using one of the resources listed on the next page, identify the three clin- ics closest to your home. Take a look at the websites of those three clinics.

Does the clinic provide…

Medication abortion (abortion with pills)? YES / NO

Procedural abortion (sometimes called “surgical”)? YES / NO
How far along in pregnancy does the clinic provide abortions?

Do they provide abortions until the state’s legal limit? YES / NO

At the nearest abortion clinic, the cost of an abortion:

…at 8 weeks is $___________,

…at 15 weeks is $___________,

…at 21 weeks is $___________.

…for a medication abortion is $___________.

Find out how to pay for an abortion in your state. Abortion is often treated differently from other kinds of health care even though it is an essential and common medical procedure. The Hyde Amendment prohibits the use of federal dollars towards abortion in nearly all circumstances. Many states also restrict coverage in public and private insurance plans, while others require it. Some private insurance plans exclude abortion even though they have no legal reason to do so. Look up the details of your insurance plan and your state laws.

Then look up the abortion funds that service your state or region.

Medicaid DOES / DOES NOT cover abortion.

Marketplace insurance plans ALWAYS / SOMETIMES / NEVER cover abortion.

Your personal insurance plan DOES / DOES not cover abortion. Abortion IS / IS NOT subject to a deductible and there is a co-pay of $___________.

Get a sense of what your state’s abortion laws will look like post-Roe. Right now, nearly half of U.S. states have laws on the books that will automatically restrict abortion.

When Roe falls:

…What will happen to abortion access in your state?

…What will happen in the states bordering yours?

…If abortion will be banned in your state, where would you have to travel to access care?

…If travel is not an option, what resources can help you have a safe abortion without leaving your community?