Post-Roe Impact: Increasing Barriers to Abortion Access

Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization three years ago, many states have implemented severe restrictions on abortion, with 17 states enacting bans or limitations. This shift has led to a rise in maternal and infant mortality in several regions.

Beyond the immediate health consequences, the ruling has created numerous small obstacles that complicate access to reproductive care. Currently, approximately nine million women aged 15 to 44 in the U.S. live more than 200 miles from the nearest abortion clinic. In states like Texas and Louisiana, the average distance exceeds 400 miles, forcing women to endure long and difficult journeys when seeking care.

Women faced with unexpected or medically complicated pregnancies must navigate not only physical travel but also logistical challenges such as missing work, finding childcare, affording transportation, and arranging overnight stays during waiting periods mandated by many states.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, at least 324,700 individuals have traveled out of their states for abortions since the Dobbs ruling, representing about one-sixth of all abortions in states where the procedure remains legal in 2023.

However, a resilient network of advocates and volunteers offers critical support—helping with travel, logistics, and emotional guidance. These efforts are essential to assist those who face an increasingly difficult system not designed to facilitate access but to hinder it.

Though opponents dismiss these journeys as “abortion tourism,” critics describe them as acts of medical refuge—difficult and anxiety-inducing trips made out of necessity rather than leisure. “In an ideal world, abortion care would be accessible in everyone’s community,” says Alisha Dingus of the DC Abortion Fund. “But since that’s not the case, our movement aims to make navigating these obstacles easier, even if only temporarily.”