SPOTLIGHT ON ABORTION CARE & REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
Approaching 3-Year Mark of SCOTUS Decision that Overturned Roe v. Wade:
Wide Impact in States Across U.S.
Written by Becky Martin, AMSA Senior Manager of Reproductive Health Advocacy
For nearly 50 years, from the 1973 landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade until their 2022 Dobbs ruling, abortion care before viability was allowed in all states. This does not mean that abortion care was accessible to all in need, by far. Restrictions like the federal Hyde Amendment, as well as several state laws, have prohibited tax dollar spending on abortion care; TRAP laws, waiting periods, medically unnecessary state-mandated ultrasounds, and other such provisions create barriers and limit access to needed care.
Despite decades of research on abortion care, via procedure and medication, documenting the safety of abortion, it is the most highly regulated medical service in the United States – it is also among the most common. 
Conservative politicians at state and federal levels, spurred on by anti-abortion zealots, have long stigmatized abortion. They have demonized those who seek and provide this basic health care service to advance their extreme right-wing agenda to make the U.S. a white Christian nation, and impose their religious beliefs on all Americans.
Even in states where abortion care remains legal, the Court’s decision has also begun impacting future physicians. Across the country, people who’ve grown up with the dream of becoming physicians are weighing the impact of the Dobbs decision as they decide: which states they will apply to attend college and medical school, which states they will apply to residency and fellowship programs, and where they will seek to establish practices upon completion of their training?
The AMSA Reproductive Health Project invites ALL AMSA members to reflect on how they, as future physicians, can support their patients’ decisions in the exam room—free from political influence—while considering how landmark rulings like Dobbs have reshaped their approach to decision-making, not only in reproductive care but also in other aspects of life in our June Essay Contest.
Get Published & Win Cash Prizes!
June Contest Theme: The Impact of Decisions
Separate Competitions for Premeds & Medical Students
3 Winners in Each Competition
June Essay Submission Deadline – May 25, 2025 at 11:59pmPT
Essay content MUST have a U.S. focus or context. Submissions must be an original, unpublished essay of no more than 750 words and must be written in English.
Learn More & Submit Essays Here
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This June contest is part of our Summer 2025 Essay Contest Series – Learn More
August Theme: Abortion Care Solidarity – Submit by July 13
September Theme: Breaking Down Abortion Care Stigma – Submit by Sept 7
We have compiled the maps and links below to assist you with exploring and considering the impact the Dobbs decision is having on health policy in states across the country, in medical schools, on physician practice, in clinics and hospitals, in families, communities and patient lives.
We thank KFF and the Guttmacher Institute for their top-notch research and reporting we’ve linked within this document.
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Abortion is Now Banned in 12 States |
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6 States Now Ban Abortion After 12 Weeks |
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4 States Now Ban Abortion After 22 Weeks |
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19 States Limit Abortion Care at or Near Viability |
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9 States & DC Protect Abortion Care without Gestational Limit |
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Abortion Care is Available via Telehealth in 25 States & DC
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Voters Protected Abortion Care in State Constitution in 13 States
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*Note: this Spotlight is included in AMSA Reproductive Health Project eNews #44
Mothering Justice: Honoring the Lineage and Legacy of Mothers and Mother Figures Birthing a Better World, May 10, 2025.
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