Empire State Review Contributor 
As the United States navigates the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landscape of abortion access continues to evolve, marked by a patchwork of state laws and ongoing legal battles. The ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization effectively ended nearly five decades of federal protection for abortion rights, returning the authority to regulate abortion to individual states.
In the wake of this decision, approximately half of U.S. states have enacted laws that either ban or severely restrict abortion access. Some states have implemented “trigger laws” that automatically banned abortion upon the overturning of Roe, while others have passed new legislation to limit the procedure. Conversely, several states have moved to protect and expand abortion access, creating a stark divide across the country.
One significant area of contention is medication abortion, which involves the use of drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol to terminate pregnancies. This method now accounts for a majority of abortions in the U.S. While the Supreme Court recently declined to impose a federal ban on medication abortion, legal challenges persist. Some state attorneys general have revived lawsuits aiming to restrict access to these medications, and there is growing concern that the federal government may enforce the Comstock Act—a 19th-century law that prohibits the mailing of materials used for abortion—to limit the distribution of abortion pills.
Travel for abortion services has also become a contentious issue. As certain states impose strict bans, individuals seeking abortions often travel to states where the procedure remains legal. This has led to increased demand on clinics in states like California and New York, which have positioned themselves as safe havens for reproductive health care. However, the influx of out-of-state patients has strained resources, leading to longer wait times and overburdened health care providers.
The political landscape further complicates the situation. President Donald Trump, during his 2024 campaign, stated that he would leave abortion laws to the states and not pursue a national ban. However, reproductive rights advocates remain wary, citing his previous appointment of three Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Additionally, anti-abortion activists are pressuring the administration to use federal regulations to curtail abortion access further.
International bodies have also weighed in on the implications of the U.S. abortion landscape. In June 2023, United Nations experts expressed concern over the deterioration of access to sexual and reproductive health care in the U.S., stating that abortion bans in several states put millions of women and girls at risk and could lead to violations of international human rights laws.
As the nation continues to grapple with these complex issues, the future of abortion access in the United States remains uncertain. Legal battles, state legislation, and federal policies will play critical roles in shaping the reproductive rights landscape in the years to come.
