United States

In the United States, the Center for Reproductive Rights litigates in federal and state courts and advocates for laws and policies to ensure reproductive rights and health services are available across the country.

Summary

In the U.S., one in four women will end a pregnancy in her lifetime—yet abortion is now illegal in 14 states, leaving millions without access to care  And although most U.S. maternal deaths are preventable, the country has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among wealthy nations. In addition, contraception and assisted reproduction services are often unaffordable and out of reach for many.   

Through strategic litigation and legal policy and advocacy, and by holding governments accountable, the Center’s U.S. Program—with offices in New York and Washington, DC—works to strengthen legal guarantees to ensure that reproductive rights and health services are available across the country. The Center is especially focused on reducing disparities in accessing care, since Black, Indigenous and people of color, and those living in rural communities and with lower incomes, are disproportionally harmed when health care is inaccessible.   

The Center has secured numerous legal victories in both state and federal courts and since its founding in 1992 has been involved in every major U.S. Supreme Court case on abortion rights.

Key Facts

14

Number of states where abortion is now illegal.

3X

Black women in the U.S. are almost three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women.

24/100,000

The rate of maternal mortality in the U.S., which is more than three times the rate of most other high-income countries.

Cases and work

Explore highlights of our work in the U.S.

This Center program focuses on improving maternal health equity and outcomes in the United States.

With the constitutional right to abortion eliminated by the U.S. Supreme Court, where is abortion now illegal?

The Center and partners work to preserve access to abortion care after anti-abortion lawmakers move to enforce state abortion bans

Publications and Resources

2023 State Legislative Wrap-up card link

2023 State Legislative Wrap-up

This report provides an overview of the state policy landscape after analyzing almost 2,000 bills proposed in U.S. state legislatures relating to reproductive care. Read more.

State Constitutions and Abortion Rights card link

State Constitutions and Abortion Rights

Interactive map showing state court rulings on the right to abortion. Read more.

Women's Health Protection Act (WHPA) card link

Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA)

Now more than ever, Congress must pass WHPA— federal legislation that would protect the right to access abortion care in every state. Read more.

Abortion Defense Network card link

Abortion Defense Network

Get access to abortion-related legal services with this new resource. Read more.

The Constitutional Right to Reproductive Autonomy: Realizing the Promise of the 14th Amendment card link

The Constitutional Right to Reproductive Autonomy: Realizing the Promise of the 14th Amendment

This new Center report delves into constitutional rights and guarantees in U.S. law that undergird the right to reproductive autonomy—and how those principles, along with related jurisprudence, can strengthen reproductive rights going forward. Read more.

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