Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, 20 states have implemented abortion bans or imposed restrictions that limit the procedure earlier in pregnancy than the standards previously established by the ruling.

Across the US, reports of dangerous, life-threatening situations are rising in states with strict abortion bans. ProPublica reported that at least two pregnant women in Texas died after doctors delayed emergency care because they had to wait until the fetal heartbeat ceased before intervening to help the mother.

Bans are impacting healthcare for both providers and patients. Many patients must travel across state lines for necessary care; however, researchers note that out-of-state travel is not always feasible and can even pose risks. The costs of seeking care elsewhere can run into thousands of dollars, especially for those further along in pregnancy.

1."One of my friends was forced to carry to term and give birth to a baby that wasn't compatible with life. She had to go through months of being pregnant, knowing her son was going to live a short and painful life, and because of how complicated the pregnancy was, she almost didn't make it."

-- MelbaAlzbeta

2."I'm in Florida. We [got] a full six-week abortion ban on May 1. Three of my doctors have left the state. I have an autoimmune disease. I fought for years for treatment. It was so difficult to find doctors who helped. I'm glad that I still have a doctor who will help me. But it is hard to lose those three, and it will be much harder for me if I have a flare."

3."I know more than one family that steered their daughters away from applying to college in states where they'll have no right to medical care. I'll be doing the same with my daughter. It's infuriating that she cannot move freely about the country because her right to medical care won't be recognized in so many states."

-- Top_Put1541

4."I want to have kids, but after Roe, I will not even try to conceive for as long as I live in Texas. I will not endanger my life. We are moving to a progressive state this summer."

6."My friend's daughter got pregnant, and he drove her across state lines for an abortion. They're lucky they had the means to do so."

7."When I was a teen, I had a rare issue that left doctors telling me to prepare to never have kids naturally. Jump to 2019, and I had my miracle baby. My delivery was rough, though, and I had an emergency C-section and blood transfusion. My partner and I would really love to expand and have another baby, but I'm worried that if a complication comes up, no matter what stage I'm at in pregnancy, I could die. I don't want to leave my son motherless because my state believes that a fetus with no heartbeat is more important than someone who is actually living."

-- MarMar

8."I live in Missouri and immediately got my IUD replaced and have stopped dating men, for many reasons, but particularly the risk of pregnancy. I know three friends who have had tubal ligations. My mom is a clinician with Planned Parenthood in this state, and she has been working primarily at the clinic in Illinois since the decision. It's a very sad time to have a uterus."

9."I have been firmly childfree my whole life. In 2022, I started dating the man who is now my husband. We were together when Roe was overturned, and we were both very upset. I started the process of finding a doctor who was willing to do a complete hysterectomy after we got engaged. I could not stand the thought of getting pregnant and being forced to give birth to a child I never wanted. Not to mention that I have an IUD, and pregnancy would already be super dangerous."

"The day I had my consultation for the hysterectomy, my fiancé and I had a long talk about what we wanted our future to look like. We figured out that for $600 and only three days off work, he could get a vasectomy, and I could avoid undergoing an expensive surgery with a long recovery time. I have been so lucky to have a supportive partner. I still fear what would happen if I did get pregnant; although, between the vasectomy and IUD, it is highly unlikely. Depending on the outcome of the election, I still might get the hysterectomy."

-- Anonymous

10."My husband and I were considering pregnancy. Now, we aren't. I'm in my early 40s and generally healthy, but at my age, miscarriage and other complications are a real risk. We live in a state with a six-week abortion ban and little chance of any ballot measures to enshrine abortion rights. It's just too risky. We're looking into moving to another country with the Trump win. Even if we decide not to pursue pregnancy, I don't know how much longer I can bear the psychological toll of living in a country where I feel like a second-class citizen."

-- Anonymous

11."I almost died giving birth to my daughter in 2023. I had preeclampsia diagnosed around 20 weeks. Every week, I was asked how much longer I could keep going before it was too dangerous for me. In the end, I had a placental abruption requiring an emergency C-section. Thankfully, she was far enough along that she was viable (she's fine now, but she was born two months early). I'm debating having a second. The doctors say I'm healthy enough to do so, but I worry."

12."I was born and raised in Pittsburg, Kansas. Because of Dobbs v. Jackson, Planned Parenthood finally opened a clinic here despite Pittsburg being a predominantly socially conservative community (due to the presence of a heavily evangelical and Catholic population). Because Pittsburg is a town that's within close proximity to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, three states that have criminalized access to reproductive care, people have come to my hometown, seeking help in all too many instances. As I'm writing this right now, they've come from as far away as Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi."

-- Anonymous

13.From an emergency medicine doctor: "I've personally seen a septic abortion patient have a significant (six-hour) delay in care and need to be transferred to a much larger city several hours away because our hospital didn't do dilation and curettage (D&C). This happened pre-ban in a state that now has a total abortion ban without clauses for the health of the mother. I have zero doubts that this happens with more frequency now."

14."In my state, with a very strict abortion ban, we are now 50th in the nation for OB-GYNs per capita. They can't recruit anyone either; all of the nurses are quitting. Surrounding states used to send fellowship students here for training, but multiple states now have to look for new places to teach. The hospitals have closed treatment of any female reproductive-related cancers (i.e., ovarian). You must be referred elsewhere. Where? I worked as a nurse in women's health, and I legitimately don't know."

"There is a five-month wait to get in to do routine women's health screening appointments in many places. People forget that all women, even those not of reproductive age, are going to be affected by these bans for YEARS."

-- truecolors110

15."My husband is an OB-GYN, and we had to move. The risk is too great for them. The ripple effects of this ban will just keep getting worse and worse."

"I feel terrible for the women of Texas, and many of them vote thinking it doesn't affect them. When they have a gynecological need, cancer, whatever, then they will realize the consequences. It's not just about abortion. It'll get harder and harder to find care."

-- TexasRN1

16.And lastly: "I couldn't get a painkiller when I went to the ER with a broken ankle until I waited for an hour and a half for a pregnancy test. I didn't need one; I've been surgically sterilized at that same hospital. Didn't matter. These bans affect all of women's healthcare, not just pregnancy healthcare."

"It's not a huge deal, I guess, but what kind of crazy backward world do we live in that women are being forced to wait for normal healthcare just because we're of childbearing age? I know there are more devastating unintended (maybe?) consequences of these bans, but surely the people who voted for them never thought they'd have to suffer in pain waiting for a pregnancy test before they were able to be treated for a broken bone."

-- sleepyliltrashpanda