State-Level 2012 Retrospective: Second-Highest Number of Abortion Restrictions Ever

by Rachel Benson Gold, Guttmacher Institute

and Elizabeth Nash, Guttmacher Institute

January 2, 2013 - 11:36 am

Reproductive health and rights were once again the subject of extensive debate in state capitols in 2012. Over the course of the year, 42 states and the District of Columbia enacted 122 provisions related to reproductive health and rights. One-third of these new provisions, 43 in 19 states, sought to restrict access to abortion services.