Points of interest Reset map
- Wichita, KS
- The last clinic in Mississippi
- The Panhandle-Dakota divide
- Coasts
- Puerto Rico
Legal restrictions of nearest clinicReloads map. Hover for details.
- Counseling & Wait times
- Medication restrictions
- Ultrasound provisions
- Insurance restrictions
All (Brighter means more restrictions)
18-72 hour wait times
Told the fetus can feel pain
Told personhood begins at conception
Mandatory in-person counseling
18-72 hour wait times
Told the fetus can feel pain
Told personhood begins at conception
Mandatory in-person counseling
All (Brighter means more restrictions)
Licensed physician required
Stricter FDA Protocol required
Telemedicine prohibited
Licensed physician required
Stricter FDA Protocol required
Telemedicine prohibited
All (Brighter means stricter provisions)
Must be offered (Req'd in ND)
Required if part of clinic's procedure
Required; Must offer to show image
Required; Must display, describe image
Must be offered (Req'd in ND)
Required if part of clinic's procedure
Required; Must offer to show image
Required; Must display, describe image
All (Brighter means stricter provisions)
Restrictions on private insurance plans
Restrictions on public employee plans
Restrictions to health insurance exchange
Restrictions on private insurance plans
Restrictions on public employee plans
Restrictions to health insurance exchange
Overlays
Show female population, ages 15-44
Info
Since the 2009 murder of abortion provider George Tiller, Wichita, KS, has been without an abortion clinic of any kind and roughly three hours from the nearest ones in Kansas City, Tulsa, and Norman, Okla. Women who visit the Oklahoma clinics will face a ban on telemedicine, while those who travel to Kansas City will be required to get an ultrasound.
The last clinic in Mississippi gained national attention last year when tighter restrictions threatened its ability to stay open. The law is currently under review. If that clinic were to close, the next closest clinics would be roughly 150 miles away in Alabama, Louisiana or Arkansas, states that also employ restrictiosn. Read about the proprietor of Mississippi's last clinic
The clearest trend on the map is the dearth of clinics through the center of the country-from northern Texas through Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, and North Dakota. Roughly 400,000 women of reproductive age (between 15 and 44) live more than 150 miles from the closest clinic in this region.
Often, the states with the fewest clinics also have more restrictions. Divide County, ND is the furthest county away from a clinic.
Often, the states with the fewest clinics also have more restrictions. Divide County, ND is the furthest county away from a clinic.
Abortion is legal in Puerto Rico but a local statute prohibits abortion for any reason except to protect the woman's life or health. Although this statute violates the law under Roe v. Wade, it has yet to be officially challenged. 1.9 million women live on the island, a little under half of which are between 15 and 44 according to Census data.
Most women of reproductive age in the country reside on its coasts. These areas also benefit from very few restrictions on abortion services.
Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Arizona, among other states, also require in-person counseling, often 24 hours in advance of the procedure, which requires women to make two trips or to stay overnight, increasing the endeavor's cost and time commitment.
Residents of Flagstaff, AZ, for instance, would have to travel more than 100 miles to Phoenix and spend two days in the city to receive medical abortion pills. Arizona bans telemedicine and requires in-person counseling.
Residents of Flagstaff, AZ, for instance, would have to travel more than 100 miles to Phoenix and spend two days in the city to receive medical abortion pills. Arizona bans telemedicine and requires in-person counseling.
The swath of the country with the fewest clinics also recently curtailed access to medical abortion-also known as the abortion pill-by banning telemedicine, a method doctors use to prescribe medication to terminate a pregnancy over a video chat, a convenience to people who live in rural areas.
Expanded medical abortion restrictions are a next battleground for anti-abortion rights politicians, abortion advocates say.
Expanded medical abortion restrictions are a next battleground for anti-abortion rights politicians, abortion advocates say.
Some states ban private insurance policies from covering abortion except in cases of danger to life, rape, and incest. Idaho, Kentucky, and Nebraska, among others, will extend the limitation to plans purchased under the new health-insurance exchanges starting in 2014. Other states, including Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina, don’t limit private plans now but will start in 2014 under their health-insurance exchanges. Again, the states with the most restrictions are often in areas farthest from the closest clinics.
A number of states mandate abortion providers perform ultrasounds before abortion procedures. Some require, while others offer, patients to see the images and hear detailed information. In extreme cases like Louisiana and Arizona, the ultrasound must take place 24 hours before the abortion.