Each state has the power to ban, restrict or allow abortion. In the aftermath of the ruling, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kentucky became the 13th and 14th states to make abortion illegal. Half of the states are likely to either ban or limit access to the procedure, with many of them refusing to make exceptions even in pregnancies involving rape, incest and fetuses with genetic abnormality. In the next few days and weeks, many abortion clinics may be forced to close.
It won't end abortion in the US, but it will likely lower its rates and force those who want them to use other methods. People living in states that ban or heavily restrict abortions may consider travelling to other areas that will still allow them, even though crossing state lines can be expensive and time consuming.
The decision makes it more likely that anti-abortion activists will use data collection to track people who seek abortions. It's particularly dangerous for those leaving home to cross state lines if they have this information.
In states like Mississippi, Florida and North Carolina, vigilance volunteers stake out abortion clinics and film people arriving on cameras. While they deny the data is used to harass or contact people seeking abortions, experts are concerned that footage filmed of clients arriving and leaving clinics could be exploited to target and harm them if law enforcement agencies or private groups used facial recognition to identify them.
Order abortion pills to end a pregnant woman's pregnancies at home. The majority of abortions in the US are done with the pills, which are safe and widely prescribed by doctors.
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