New York has long been at the forefront the push for abortion access† The state legalized the procedure three years before the Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade in 1973. Thousands of women poured in from other states, quickly surpassing the number of New Yorkers having abortions.
Now that the court has quashed Roe, elected officials, abortion providers and reproductive health advocates are getting ready to help women from all over the country who may consider traveling to New York for abortion care.
State legislators accepted a series of bills focused on protecting abortion seekers and providers this year. They’ve spent millions in funding for efforts like the Support fund for abortion providersa new initiative overseen by the State Department of Health, and for the safety of reproductive health centers.
And after the Dobbs v. Jackson decision quashing Roe was announced, the legislature met in special session and passed a measure to enact the Equal Rights Amendmentwhich would enshrine in the state constitution the right to abortion and access to contraception.
Most New Yorkers support the right to abortion, which is legal in the state until the point of fetal viability† a June poll by the Siena College Research Institute found that nearly two-thirds of New Yorkers supported improved legal protections for abortion seekers.
But about a quarter of New Yorkers supported Roe’s overthrow, according to the poll, and anti-abortion activists have stepped up protests in recent weeks.
Here’s a look at the abortion landscape in New York and how it could change if other states tighten or eliminate access to abortion.
How many abortions are performed in New York?
In 2020, 110,360 abortions were performed in New York, representing 12 percent of all abortions nationwide that year. the latest data analyzed by the Guttmacher Institutea research group that supports abortion rights.
While the abortion rate in New York increased 5 percent between 2017 and 2019, the number fell 6 percent between 2019 and 2020 as the state struggled with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Guttmacher found. At least 10 percent of New York clinics reported that they will stop providing abortion care by 2020.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that between 2015 and 2019, the proportion of abortions in New York City by out-of-state residents grew from about 5 percent in 2015 to nearly 9 percent in 2019, a rise that coincided with new restrictions on abortions by others. procedure imposed on states.
Read more about the end of Roe v. Wade
- ‘Pro-Life Generation’: Many young women mourned the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe. For others it was a moment of triumph and a human rights issue.
- A shift in demographics?: Cities in the south have challenged the supremacy of coastal supercities and attracted creative young people. Shall abortion bans put an end to that†
- The Evolving Struggle of New York: Before Roe v. Wade, New York City was a haven for women from all over the country. Decades later, a new generation of advocates swore it will stay that way† []
Access to abortion varies widely across the state. New York City has a concentration of providers, but about 40 percent of the state’s counties, home to about 8 percent of women, did not have clinics providing abortions in 2017. according to Guttmacher†
How have abortion rates changed over the years?
New York has been welcoming outsiders seeking abortions for decades. Unlike other states that passed abortion laws in the early 1970s, New York did not require women to be residents to access the procedure, nor did it impose any medical or social conditions, according to a 1980 Guttmacher report.
In 1970, in the months after New York passed the law, in-state residents had about 41,000 abortions, compared with 48,000 by out-of-states. Many women in New York said they would have sought “clandestine procedures” had they not been able to have safe and legal abortions, the report said.
When abortion was legalized nationally, the number of women traveling to New York for the procedure plummeted, from 172,000 in 1972 to 14,000 in 1979.
While the number of abortions performed by state residents grew to 185,000 in 1979, it has fallen significantly in recent years, reflecting a long-term nationwide trend often attributed to better access to contraception.
Can New York cope with increased demand?
As states in the South and Midwest restrict access to abortions, nearby states that allow abortion could come under pressure, said Elizabeth Nash, a senior policy officer at the Guttmacher Institute.
“The distances will increase for those who need abortion care and the number of clinics across the country will shrink,” she said. “So a state like New York will become more important for abortion.”
Demand could be especially high in the Southern Tier, the region bordering Pennsylvania’s northern border, where the future of abortion access questionableand because of its proximity to Ohio, where abortion is now banned after six weeks.
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, which has 23 clinics across the state, announced in a recent call that it plans to expand its services by increasing appointment availability by 20 percent, leveraging a network of abortion providers, hire and expand more health workers. access to surgical abortions in the southern part of the state.
In New York City, a account introduced by councilor Carlina Rivera, a Manhattan Democrat, would require the Department of Health to provide free abortion pills in clinics and health centers, both to New Yorkers and to people from out of state†
How do activists get involved?
While elected officials work to expand access and protect abortion rights, local abortion opponents are also active. Religious leaders have celebrated the Supreme Court decision and activities such as prayer meetings outside abortion clinics have continued.
“Abortion is not health care,” Joseph W. Tobin, the Roman Catholic Cardinal of Newark, said after the ruling. “It is a disastrous attempt to create a false equivalence between the taking of innocent human life and the ‘reproductive health’ of women in our society.”
But among New Yorkers who support abortion rights – who turned out to be thousands? protest the Supreme Court ruling — there has been a deluge of offers to help women from states where access to abortion is limited.
Many groups are urging people to donate to abortion funds and other organizations that provide travel and logistical support to those in need, including the New York Abortion Access Fund, the Brigid Alliance, and The Haven Coalition.
Some groups also help women access abortion pills or create programs to virtually guide them through that process.
“Fortunately, we are not alone in this struggle,” Joy D. Calloway, interim director of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, said in the call. “We understand our collective obligation to protect abortion rights in New York State.”
Liam Stack reporting contributed.