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Low-Income Women’s Access

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Help Stop Extreme Abortion Ban

Anti-choice leaders in Congress are trying to ban abortion for women in Washington, D.C. who face complications later in pregnancy.

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Stories

Mariah, 19

Shortly after turning 18 and in my final semester of high school, I found out I was pregnant by my boyfriend of two years.

Andrea, 42

In 2002 my life was saved by an emergency abortion and surgery at a city hospital in NYC. I was uninsured and bleeding to death from an ectopic pregnancy.

Should you be denied access to an abortion based on the amount of money you earn? Are your rights less important? Of course not. But, right now, federal law takes away the option of abortion care for many low-income women.

There are several public-funding bans on abortion. This means low-income women don't have the same choices as Americans with more money. Do these bans affect you or someone you know? They could, if you depend on the government for health care or serve in the military.

The Challenge

Several laws, like the Hyde amendment, restrict access to abortion for women who rely on the federal government for their health care.

This ban applies to women who get health care through the following programs:

Medicaid
Medicare
State Children's Health Insurance Program
Indian Health Services

These bans force many women to sacrifice money they use for other basic needs in order to pay for abortion care.

The government pays for abortion services only in very few cases. These cases include when the woman's life is threatened or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.

Our Solution

All women should have access to basic medical care regardless of how much money they make.

We educate lawmakers and the public about how funding bans are bad for women.

We work to lift these restrictions and put laws in place that provide all women basic medical care.

Laws About Low-Income Women’s Access

Map of State Laws

Map showing states that have laws about restrictions on low-income women's access to abortion.

Summary of State and Federal Laws

Restrictions on Low-Income Women's Access to Abortion

33 states and the District of Columbia restrict low-income women’s access to abortion: AL, AR, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MS, MO, NE, NV, NH, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WY. (Six of these states fund abortion services for low-income women in extremely limited circumstances beyond federal restrictions: IN, IA, MS, UT, VA, WI.)

17 states fund abortion services for low-income women beyond federal restrictions: AK, AZ, CA, CT, HI, IL, MD, MA, MN, MT, NJ, NM, NY, OR, VT, WA, WV.