Abortion legality varies widely by country and within countries, especially in the United States.
United States
- Abortion is broadly legal in many states, often protected up to fetal viability (around 24 weeks). States like California, Connecticut, Delaware, and Hawaii have laws protecting abortion rights and shielding providers and patients from restrictions in other states.
- Some states have bans or severe restrictions, often banning abortion after about six weeks or almost entirely. For example, Texas and West Virginia have near-total bans, and Florida and Georgia have six-week limits, though legal challenges continue in some states.
- As of early 2025, 12 states have total abortion bans with few exceptions, while others maintain broader access but with varying gestational limits and legal protections
Global Overview
- Abortion laws differ internationally, with some countries allowing abortion on request and others only under specific circumstances such as risk to the mother's life, rape, or fetal impairment.
- In Latin America, abortion on request is legal only in Cuba, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, and parts of Mexico.
- Many countries have gestational limits for elective abortion, commonly in the first or second trimester.
- About 25% of the world’s population lives in countries with highly restrictive abortion laws, including total bans except to save the mother's life, such as El Salvador, where abortion is illegal under all circumstances and penalties are severe.
- Some countries have laws protecting access to abortion services by restricting protests near clinics and safeguarding providers from harassment
In summary, abortion is legal on request or with broad access in many parts of the United States and certain countries globally, while in others it is highly restricted or banned except under limited conditions.
