This is unlike most articles we do at HDI. What this post shows is a few hours of research put into looking up the abortion laws in the United States, focusing on the definition of abortion and exceptions to the laws. .
These laws were found using the Center for Reproductive Justice’s map and the in-detail document included for each state’s abortion laws, which has citations for laws and court cases. I used the citations to search the current laws and found the sections which talked about exceptions to whatever the gestational limit on abortion was; the links provided are directly to those laws.
The next best resource for all the info in one place is perhaps the maps and citations provided by Family Research Council. Many (very good) pro-choice versions of this information exist, but not very many pro-life ones — it costs time and sometimes money to research, track, and update.
This table is not fancy, and there is no map. However, I put what I wished I could have found on any of the state abortion law information accumulation pages: the actual wording of the laws. The best I found was summaries with links, which is not bad, but I wanted a place I can actually see all the language without having to click into individual links or separate pages.
With this table, you can see quoted legal language. The exception language quoted is focused on gestational limit exceptions, but mentions to other exceptions are made and can be seen, if present, if you follow the included links. Our hope is to modify this table as needed when state laws or constitutions change. However, with the included links, you should be able to go see the full context of any law or any updates that have been made.
This list is up to date as of 12/11/2025.
| State | Abortion Definition | Abortion legality | Statute Link and Law Quote |
| AL | “The use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance or device with the intent to terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be pregnant with knowledge that the termination by those means will with reasonable likelihood cause the death of the unborn child. The term does not include these activities if done with the intent to save the life or preserve the health of an unborn child, remove a dead unborn child, to deliver the unborn child prematurely to avoid a serious health risk to the unborn child’s mother, or to preserve the health of her unborn child. The term does not include a procedure or act to terminate the pregnancy of a woman with an ectopic pregnancy, nor does it include the procedure or act to terminate the pregnancy of a woman when the unborn child has a lethal anomaly.” | Mostly banned, some exceptions | “An abortion shall be permitted if an attending physician licensed in Alabama determines that an abortion is necessary in order to prevent a serious health risk to the unborn child’s mother.” |
| AK | N/A | No abortion bans | N/A |
| AZ | “the use of any means to terminate the clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman with knowledge that the termination by those means will cause, with reasonable likelihood, the death of the unborn child. Abortion does not include birth control devices, oral contraceptives used to inhibit or prevent ovulation, conception or the implantation of a fertilized ovum in the uterus or the use of any means to save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child, to preserve the life or health of the child after a live birth, to terminate an ectopic pregnancy or to remove a dead fetus.” | Allowed until viability and after, with exceptions | “The physician states…that the abortion is necessary to preserve the life or health of the woman, specifying the medical indications for and the probable health consequences of the abortion.” |
| AR | “the act of using, prescribing, administering, procuring, or selling of any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance, device, or means with the purpose to terminate the pregnancy of a woman, with knowledge that the termination by any of those means will with reasonable likelihood cause the death of the unborn child.(B) An act under subdivision (1)(A) of this section is not an abortion if the act is performed with the purpose to:(i) Save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child: (ii) Remove a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion; or (iii) Remove an ectopic pregnancy;” | Mostly banned, limited exceptions | “A person shall not purposely perform or attempt to perform an abortion except to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency.” |
| CA | N/A | No abortion bans | N/A |
| CO | N/A | No abortion bans | N/A |
| CT | Not defined until in the context of laws concerning pregnancy help centers: “‘Abortion’ means the termination of a pregnancy for purposes other than producing a live birth. “Abortion” includes, but is not limited to, a termination of a pregnancy using pharmacological agents” | Allowed until viability and after, with exceptions | “No abortion may be performed upon a patient after viability of the fetus except when necessary to preserve the life or health of the patient.” |
| DE | “the use of any instrument, medicine, drug or any other substance or device to terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be pregnant, with an intention other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the child after live birth, or to remove a dead fetus. | Allowed until viability and after, with exceptions | “A physician may not terminate, attempt to terminate, or assist in the termination or attempt at termination of a human pregnancy otherwise than by birth after viability, unless, in the good faith medical judgment of the physician, the termination is necessary for the protection of the woman’s life or health…” |
| FL | “the termination of human pregnancy with an intention other than to produce a live birth or to remove a dead fetus.” | Mostly banned, with some exceptions | “No termination of pregnancy shall be performed on any human being…unless one of the following conditions is met:(a) Two physicians certify in writing that, in reasonable medical judgment, the termination of the pregnancy is necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life or avert a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman other than a psychological condition.(b) The physician certifies in writing that, in reasonable medical judgment, there is a medical necessity for legitimate emergency medical procedures for termination of the pregnancy to save the pregnant woman’s life or avert a serious risk of imminent substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman other than a psychological condition, and another physician is not available for consultation.” |
| GA | “the act of using, prescribing, or administering any instrument, substance, device, or other means with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy with knowledge that termination will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of an unborn child; provided, however, that any such act shall not be considered an abortion if the act is performed with the purpose of:(A) Removing a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion; or(B) Removing an ectopic pregnancy. | Mostly banned, some exceptions | “No abortion is authorized or shall be performed if an unborn child has been determined in accordance with Code Section 31-9B-2 to have a detectable human heartbeat except when:(1) A physician determines, in reasonable medical judgment, that a medical emergency exists;” |
| HI | “an intentional termination of the pregnancy of a nonviable fetus.‘Nonviable fetus’ means a fetus that does not have a reasonable likelihood of sustained survival outside of the uterus. | Allowed until viability and after, with exceptions | “The State shall not deny or interfere with a female’s right to choose or obtain an abortion of a nonviable fetus or an abortion that is necessary to protect the life or health of the female.” |
| ID | “the use of any means to intentionally terminate the clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman with knowledge that the termination by those means will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of the unborn child except that, for the purposes of this chapter, abortion shall not mean:(a) The use of an intrauterine device or birth control pill to inhibit or prevent ovulations, fertilization, or the implantation of a fertilized ovum within the uterus;(b) The removal of a dead unborn child;(c) The removal of an ectopic or molar pregnancy; or(d) The treatment of a woman who is no longer pregnant. | Mostly banned, with some exceptions | “The physician determined, in his good faith medical judgment and based on the facts known to the physician at the time, that the abortion was necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman.” (suicide risk specifically not included) also a rape in the first trimester exception |
| IL | “the use of any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance or device to terminate the pregnancy of an individual known to be pregnant with an intention other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the child after live birth, or to remove a dead fetus. | Allowed until viability and after, with exceptions | “If the health care professional determines that there is fetal viability, the health care professional may provide abortion care only if, in the professional judgment of the health care professional, the abortion is necessary to protect the life or health of the patient.” |
| IN | “the termination of human pregnancy with an intention other than to produce a live birth or to remove a dead fetus. The term includes abortions by surgical procedures and by abortion inducing drugs.” | Mostly banned, with exceptions | “Abortion shall in all instances be a criminal act, except when performed under the following circumstances: (1) Except as prohibited in IC 16-34-4, before the earlier of viability of the fetus or twenty (20) weeks of postfertilization age of the fetus, if:(A) for reasons based upon the professional, medical judgment of the pregnant woman’s physician, if either:(i) the abortion is necessary when reasonable medical judgment dictates that performing the abortion is necessary to prevent any serious health risk to the pregnant woman or to save the pregnant woman’s life; or(ii) the fetus is diagnosed with a lethal fetal anomaly;” same exception for post-viability, and a 10-week exception for rape or incest. |
| IA | “the termination of a human pregnancy with theintent other than to produce a live birth or to remove a dead fetus. Abortion does not include medical care which has as its primary purpose the treatment of a serious physical condition requiring emergency medical treatment necessary to save the life of a mother.” | Mostly banned, with exceptions | “A physician shall not perform an abortion upon a pregnant woman when it has been determined that the unborn child has a detectable fetal heartbeat, unless, in the physician’s reasonable medical judgment, a medical emergency or fetal heartbeat exception exists.” |
| KS | “the use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, drug or any other means to terminate the pregnancy of a woman knowing that such termination will, with reasonable likelihood, result in the death of the unborn child.(2) Such use or prescription is not an “abortion” if done with the intent to:(A) Preserve the life or health of the unborn child;(B) increase the probability of a live birth;(C) remove a dead unborn child who died as the result of natural causes in utero, accidental trauma or a criminal assault on the pregnant woman or the unborn child; or(D) remove an ectopic pregnancy.(3) “Abortion” does not include the prescription, dispensing, administration, sale or use of any method of contraception.” | Allowed until viability and after, with exceptions | “No person shall perform or induce, or attempt to perform or induce an abortion when the unborn child is viable unless…based upon a medical judgment arrived at using and exercising that degree of care, skill and proficiency commonly exercised by the ordinary skillful, careful and prudent physician in the same or similar circumstances and that would be made by a reasonably prudent physician, knowledgeable in the field, and knowledgeable about the case and the treatment possibilities with respect to the conditions involved, that: (1) The abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant woman; or (2) a continuation of the pregnancy will cause a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.” |
| KY | “the performance of any act with the intent to terminate theclinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman known to be pregnant withknowledge that the termination by those means will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of the unborn child by one (1) or more of thefollowing means:1. Administering, prescribing, or providing any abortion-inducing drug asdefined in KRS 311.7731, potion, medicine, or any other substance or device to a pregnant female; or2. Using an instrument or external force on a pregnant female.(b) “Abortion” does not mean those actions that require separating the pregnantwoman from her unborn child when performed by a licensed physician asprovided in KRS 311.723. KRS 311.723 outlines what is allowed: “Lifesaving miscarriage management,” “Sepsis and hemorrhage emergency medical interventions,” “A medically necessary intervention, inducement, or delivery for the removalof a dead child from the uterine cavity,” “The removal of an ectopic pregnancy or a pregnancy that is not implanted normally within the endometrial cavity,” “use of methotrexate or similar medications to treat an ectopic pregnancy,” “removal of a molar pregnancy,” accidental death of the unborn baby due to medical treatment, and preventing death or injury to the woman. | Mostly banned, with exceptions | “For a licensed physician to perform a medical procedure necessary in reasonable medical judgment to prevent the death or substantial risk of death due to a physical condition, or to prevent the serious, permanent impairment of a life- sustaining organ of a pregnant woman” |
| LA | “No person may knowingly administer to, prescribe for, or procure for, or sell to any pregnant woman any medicine, drug, or other substance with the specific intent of causing or abetting the termination of the life of an unborn human being. No person may knowingly use or employ any instrument or procedure upon a pregnant woman with the specific intent of causing or abetting the termination of the life of an unborn human being.” Specifically excepts contraception. | Mostly banned, with exceptions | “It shall not be a violation of Subsection C of this Section for a licensed physician to perform a medical procedure necessary in reasonable medical judgment to prevent the death or substantial risk of death due to a physical condition, or to prevent the serious, permanent impairment of a life-sustaining organ of a pregnant woman.” |
| ME | “the intentional interruption of a pregnancy by the application of external agents, whether chemical or physical or by the ingestion of chemical agents with an intention other than to produce a live birth or to remove a dead fetus.” | Allowed until viability and after, with exceptions | “After viability, an abortion may be performed only when it is necessary in the professional judgment of a physician licensed pursuant to Title 32, chapter 36 or 48. The physician shall apply the applicable standard of care in making a professional judgment under this subsection.” |
| MD | N/A | No bans | N/A |
| MA | “any medical treatment intended to induce the termination of, or to terminate, a clinically diagnosable pregnancy except for the purpose of producing a live birth; provided, however, that ”abortion” shall not include providing care related to a miscarriage.” | Allowed up to viability and after, with exceptions | “If a pregnancy has existed for 24 weeks or more, no abortion may be performed except by a physician, and only if in the best medical judgement of the physician it is: (i) necessary to preserve the life of the patient; (ii) necessary to preserve the patient’s physical or mental health;” |
| MI | “a medical treatment that is intended to terminate a diagnosable intrauterine pregnancy for a purpose other than to produce a live birth. Abortion does not include the use or prescription of a drug or device that prevents pregnancy or a medical treatment used to remove a dead fetus or embryo whose death was the result of a spontaneous abortion.” | Allowed up to viability, with exceptions | “the state may regulate the provision of abortion care after fetal viability,provided that in no circumstance shall the state prohibit an abortion that, in the professional judgment of an attending health care professional, is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual” |
| MN | N/A | No bans | N/A |
| MS | “the use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, drug or any other substance or device to terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be pregnant with an intention other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the child after live birth or to remove a dead fetus.” | Mostly banned, with exceptions | “No abortion shall be performed or induced in the State of Mississippi, except in the case where necessary for the preservation of the mother’s life or where the pregnancy was caused by rape.” |
| MO | “The act of using or prescribing any instrument, device, medicine, drug, or any other means or substance with the intent to destroy the life of an embryo or fetus in his or her mother’s womb; or (b) The intentional termination of the pregnancy of a mother by using or prescribing any instrument, device, medicine, drug, or other means or substance with an intention other than to increase the probability of a live birth or to remove a dead unborn child;” | Allowed until viability, and after with exceptions | State constitution recognizes right to abortion up to fetal viability. Other abortion restrictions in Ch 188 of the Revised Code in limbo based on ongoing court cases. |
| MT | “the use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, drug, or other substance or device to intentionally terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be pregnant, with an intention other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the child after live birth, or to remove a dead fetus. | Pain capability and viability, with exception | “A person may not perform or attempt to perform an abortion of an unborn child capable of feeling pain unless it is necessary to prevent a serious health risk to the unborn child’s mother” |
| NE | “Abortion means the use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, drug, or other substance or device intentionally to terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be pregnant with an intention other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the child after live birth, or to remove a dead unborn child, and which causes the premature termination of the pregnancy;” | Banned after first trimester, with exceptions | “Except when a woman seeks an abortion necessitated by a medical emergency or when the pregnancy results from sexual assault or incest, unborn children shall be protected from abortion in the second and third trimesters” |
| NV | “the termination of a human pregnancy with an intention other than to produce the birth of an infant capable of sustained survival by natural or artificial supportive systems or to remove a dead fetus.” | Allowed until 24 weeks and after, with exceptions | “After the 24th week of pregnancy only if the physician has reasonable cause to believe that an abortion currently is necessary to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman.” |
| NH | “the act of using or prescribing any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to terminate the clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman with knowledge that the termination by those means will with reasonable likelihood cause the death of the fetus. Such use, prescription, or means is not an abortion if done with the intent to:(a) Save the life or preserve the health of the fetus;(b) Remove a dead fetus caused by spontaneous abortion; or(c) Remove an ectopic pregnancy.” | Allowed until 24 weeks and after, with exceptions | “Except in a medical emergency as specifically defined in paragraph III… ‘medical emergency’ means a condition in which an abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant woman whose life is endangered…or when continuation of the pregnancy will create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.” |
| NJ | N/A | No bans | N/A |
| NM | “As used in the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act [30-5A-1 to 30-5A-5 NMSA 1978]:A. ‘abortion’ means the intentional termination of the pregnancy of a female by a person who knows the female is pregnant;” | No gestational age ban, only a method ban on partial-birth abortions. Exception to ban. | “except a physician who has determined that in his opinion the partial-birth abortion is necessary to save the life of a pregnant female or prevent great bodily harm to a pregnant female:” |
| NY | Not found in revised code for section on abortion | Allowed up to and 24 weeks, with exceptions | “A health care practitioner… acting within his or her lawful scope of practice, may perform an abortionwhen, according to the practitioner’s reasonable and good faith professional judgment based on the facts of the patient’s case: thepatient is within twenty-four weeks from the commencement of pregnancy, or there is an absence of fetal viability, or the abortion is necessaryto protect the patient’s life or health.” |
| NC | Separate surgical and medical definitions, both include: “to terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be pregnant with an intention other than to do any of the following:a. Increase the probability of a live birth.b. Preserve the life or health of the child.c. Remove a dead, unborn child who died as the result of (i) natural causesin utero, (ii) accidental trauma, or (iii) a criminal assault on the pregnantwoman or her unborn child which causes the premature termination of the pregnancy.d. Remove an ectopic pregnancy. | Mostly banned after 12 weeks, with exceptions | “When a qualified physician determines there exists a medical emergency.” |
| ND | “the act of using or prescribing any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to terminate the clinicallydiagnosable pregnancy of a woman, including the elimination of one or more unborn children in a multifetal pregnancy, with knowledge that the termination by those means will with reasonable likelihood cause the death of the unborn child. Such use,prescription, or means is not an abortion if done with the intent to:a. Remove a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion;b. Treat a woman for an ectopic pregnancy; orc. Treat a woman for a molar pregnancy.” | Allowed until viability and after, with exceptions | “An abortion of a viable child may be performed only when there is in attendance a physician other than the physician performing the abortion who shall take control and provide immediate medical care for the viable child born as a result of the abortion.” Also a rape and incest exception and a “life-limiting anomaly” exception. |
| Ohio | “the purposeful termination of a human pregnancy by any person, including the pregnant woman herself, with an intention other than to produce a live birth or to remove a dead fetus or embryo.” | Allowed until 20 weeks and after, with exceptions | “the physician determined, in the physician’s reasonable medical judgment, based on the facts known to the physician at that time, that…The abortion was necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.” |
| OK | “the use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance or device intentionally to terminate the pregnancy of a female known to be pregnant with an intention other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the child after live birth, to remove an ectopic pregnancy, or to remove a dead unborn child who died as the result of a spontaneous miscarriage, accidental trauma, or a criminal assault on the pregnant female or her unborn child;” | Mostly banned, with exception | “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person shall not purposely perform or attempt to perform an abortion except to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency” and “a person shall not knowingly perform or attempt to perform an abortion unless:1. The abortion is necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency” |
| OR | N/A | No bans | N/A |
| PA | “The use of any means to terminate the clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman with knowledge that the termination by those means will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of the unborn child except that, for the purposes of this chapter, abortion shall not mean the use of an intrauterine device or birth control pill to inhibit or prevent ovulation, fertilization or the implantation of a fertilized ovum within the uterus.” | Allowed until 24 weeks and after, with exceptions | “no person shall perform or induce an abortion upon another person when the gestational age of the unborn child is 24 or more weeks.(b) Exceptions.–(1) It shall not be a violation of subsection (a) if an abortion is performed by a physician and that physician reasonably believes that it is necessary to prevent either the death of the pregnant woman or the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the woman.” |
| RI | “administering to a woman, known to be pregnant, any medicine, drug, substance, or thing whatever, or the employment upon her of any instrument or means whatever, with intent to terminate a pregnancy. The term shall not include the administering of any medicine, drug, substance, or thing or the employment of any instrument or means for the purpose of completing an incomplete, spontaneous miscarriage.” | Allowed until viability and after, with exceptions | “The termination of an individual’s pregnancy after fetal viability is expressly prohibited except when necessary, in the medical judgment of the physician, to preserve the life or health of that individual.” |
| SC | “the act of using or prescribing any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to terminate the clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman with knowledge that the termination by those means will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of the unborn child. Such use, prescription, or means is not an abortion if done with the intent to save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child, or to remove a dead unborn child.” | Mostly banned, with exception | “Section 44-41-630 does not apply to a physician who performs or induces an abortion if the physician determines according to standard medical practice that a medical emergency exists or is performed to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent the serious risk of a substantial or irreversible impairment of a major bodily function, not including psychological or emotional conditions, that prevents compliance with the section” Also exception for rape and incest up to 12 weeks and fatal fetal anomaly |
| SD | “the intentional termination of the life of a human being in the uterus;” | Mostly banned, with exception | “Any person who…employs any instrument or other means with intent thereby to procure an abortion, unless there is appropriate and reasonable medical judgment that performance of an abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant female,” |
| TN | “the use of any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance or device with intent to terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be pregnant with intent other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the child after live birth, to terminate an ectopic or molar pregnancy, or to remove a dead fetus;” | Mostly banned, with exception | “A person who performs or attempts to perform an abortion does not commit the offense of criminal abortion if… the following conditions are met:(A) The physician determined, using reasonable medical judgment, based upon the facts known to the physician at the time, that the abortion was necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman;” |
| TX | “the act of using or prescribing an instrument, a drug, a medicine, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to cause the death of an unborn child of a woman known to be pregnant. The term does not include birth control devices or oral contraceptives. An act is not an abortion if the act is done with the intent to:(A) save the life or preserve the health of an unborn child;(B) remove a dead, unborn child whose death was caused by spontaneous abortion; or(C) remove an ectopic pregnancy.” | “The prohibition under Subsection (a) does not apply if…in the exercise of reasonable medical judgment, the pregnant female on whom the abortion is performed, induced, or attempted has a life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by, or arising from a pregnancy that places the female at risk of death or poses a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function unless the abortion is performed or induced” | |
| UT | “the act, by a physician, of using an instrument, or prescribing a drug, with the intent to cause the death of an unborn child of a woman known to be pregnant, except as permitted under this part.(b) “Abortion” does not include:(i) removal of a dead unborn child;(ii) removal of an ectopic pregnancy; or(iii) the killing or attempted killing of an unborn child without the consent of the pregnant woman, unless:(A) the killing or attempted killing is done through a medical procedure carried out by a physician or through a substance used under the direction of a physician; and(B) the physician is unable to obtain the consent due to a medical emergency.” | Allowed until 18 weeks and after, with exceptions | “the abortion is necessary to avert: (A) the death of the woman on whom the abortion is performed; or (B) a serious physical risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function of the woman on whom the abortion is performed;” also exceptions for rape, incest, and fetal abnormality |
| VT | N/A | No bans | N/A |
| VA | “if any person administer to, or cause to be taken by a woman, any drug or other thing, or use means, with intent to destroy her unborn child, or to produce abortion or miscarriage, and thereby destroy such child, or produce such abortion or miscarriage,” | Allowed through the first 2 trimesters and into the third one, with exceptions | “The physician and two consulting physicians certify and so enter in the hospital record of the woman, that in their medical opinion, based upon their best clinical judgment, the continuation of the pregnancy is likely to result in the death of the woman or substantially and irremediably impair the mental or physical health of the woman.” |
| WA | “any medical treatment intended to induce the termination of a pregnancy except for the purpose of producing a live birth.” | Allowed until viability and after, with exceptions | “or to protect the pregnant individual’s life or health.” |
| WV | “the use of any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance or device with intent to terminate the pregnancy of a patient known to be pregnant and with intent to cause the death and expulsion or removal of an embryo or a fetus. This term does not include the terms “intrauterine fetal demise” or “stillbirth” or “miscarriage” as defined in this section.” | Banned mostly, with exceptions | “An abortion may not be performed or induced or be attempted to be performed or induced unless in the reasonable medical judgment of a licensed medical professional:(1) The embryo or fetus is nonviable;(2) The pregnancy is ectopic; or(3) A medical emergency exists.”Exception also for sexual assault and incest in first 8 weeks of pregnancy |
| WI | “the use of an instrument, medicine, drug or other substance or device with intent to terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be pregnant or for whom there is reason to believe that she may be pregnant and with intent other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the infant after live birth or to remove a dead fetus.” | Allowed until 20 weeks and after, with exception | “No person shall perform or induce or attempt to perform or induce an abortion upon a woman when the unborn child is considered capable of experiencing pain unless the woman is undergoing a medical emergency. For purposes of this subsection, an unborn child is considered to be capable of experiencing pain if the probable postfertilization age of the unborn child is 20 or more weeks” |
| WY | “an act, procedure, device or prescription administered to or prescribed for a pregnant woman by any person with knowledge of the pregnancy, including the pregnant woman herself, with the intent of producing the premature expulsion, removal or termination of a human embryo or fetus, except that in cases in which the viability of the embryo or fetus is threatened by continuation of the pregnancy, early delivery after viability by commonly accepted obstetrical practices shall not be construed as an abortion;” | Allowed until viability and after, with exceptions | “An abortion shall not be performed after the embryo or fetus has reached viability except when necessary to preserve the woman from an imminent peril that substantially endangers her life or health, according to appropriate medical judgment.” Exceptions also for incest and sexual assault. |
Cover photo by NASA on Unsplash
I love science and teaching. I am passionate about using those interests to speak for those who can't.
