The Patchwork of Geographic Access to U.S. Abortion Clinics

Restrictive state regulations and violence against abortion providers have prompted clinic closures with resultant loss of access to services. In a study of distance to nearest abortion clinics throughout the U.S., investigators correlated census data for reproductive-age women with Guttmacher Institute data on abortion clinics performing ≥400 procedures yearly and Planned Parenthood affiliates (collectively representing 95% of all abortions performed in 2014) for 2000, 2011, and 2014. Travel distance was defined as number of miles half the women in each county lived from the nearest provider.

In 2014, half of women lived within 10.8 miles of an abortion clinic; in 23 states, median travel distance was <15 miles. However, at least half of the women in three states (Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota) lived >90 miles from the nearest facility, and considerable proportions of women in some states had substantially higher travel distances (154 miles for 20% of women in Alaska). Between 2011 and 2014, median travel distances decreased in 9 states, remained fixed in 34, and increased in 7. Analysis of 2000 data indicates that these geographic disparities remained consistent in the long term.