If you are an Ohio resident and facing an unplanned pregnancy, you may wonder what abortion access is available to you.
Read this article on the implications of the recent overturning of Roe, what this means for you, and steps to take if you are currently pregnant.
What Exactly Is Roe v. Wade?
In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that the right to liberty and privacy granted in the U.S. Constitution included the right to an abortion. For the past five decades, abortion has been a federally protected right in the United States.
In June 2022, the sitting Supreme Court revisited this argument in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and did not find a right to abortion in the U.S. Constitution.
This overruled Roe, meaning abortion is no longer a federally protected right and is now to be determined by each of the individual states.
What Are the Current Abortion Restrictions in Ohio?
Before Roe v. Wade was overturned, there were several states that had abortion “trigger laws” in place. This means there was a law that would restrict abortion in the event that federal protection for abortion was ever removed. Ohio was one of the states that had a trigger law.
This trigger law stipulated that abortions are unavailable after cardiac activity can be detected, usually around 6 weeks, however, this ban is being held up indefinitely by a court injunction.
This means that at the time of this writing, abortion is legal in the state of Ohio up to 22 weeks of gestational age.
Next Steps
If you are worried that your pregnancy options may be limited or are wondering if you need to travel out of state for an abortion, it’s important that you take one step at a time.
We provide a safe place to discuss your questions and concerns, as well as offer lab-quality pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, STD testing, and other services, with no insurance necessary.
These screenings equip you with your essential health information — such as confirming how far along you are or if your pregnancy is ectopic — no matter what you decide.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment!