Two-thirds of teen girls live in states with abortion restrictions, bans

Key takeaways:

• More than 7 million girls live in a state with an abortion ban, gestational limit or parental involvement law.
• Fourteen states without restrictions for adults require parental involvement for minors.

Two-thirds of girls aged 13 to 17 years live in states with abortion bans, gestational limits or parental involvement laws, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade in 2022, a dozen states have passed abortion bans and many others have imposed restrictions after specific gestational ages. Researchers argue that adolescents are disproportionately affected by these laws because it is more difficult for them to travel to a different state or use telehealth. Additionally, many states with partial restrictions — or no restrictions for adults — still require parental permission for minors to obtain an abortion, which can limit their access even further.

“Too many adolescents face abortion legal restrictions, even in states that are protective of adults’ rights and access,” Laura D. Lindberg, PhD, MA, a professor at Rutgers School of Public Health, told Healio. “Requirements for parental involvement in abortion care are especially harmful to adolescents with unsafe or unsupportive family situations.”

Lindberg and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study of abortion policies in each state as of Dec. 20, 2024. Out of more than 10.6 million girls aged 13 to 17 years living in the United States, the researchers determined how many would be affected by bans or restrictions.

In December 2024, 12 states had full abortion bans, and 10 restricted abortions between 6 and 22 weeks’ gestation, the researchers reported. Twenty-four states also required parental involvement for a minor to receive an abortion, including 10 states with gestational limits and 14 without restrictions.

Overall, 24% of girls lived in states with full bans and 24% lived in states with gestational restrictions, the researchers found. Further, 42% of girls lived in a state that required parental involvement. Overall, a total of more than 7 million girls (66%) were impacted by abortion restrictions. According to the authors, this included around three-quarters of non-Hispanic Black (78%) and white (72%) girls, two-thirds of American Indian/Alaska Native (66%) and multiracial girls (62%) and half of Hispanic girls (55%) in the U.S.

“Pediatricians have a critical role to play in supporting adolescents’ reproductive autonomy,” Lindberg said. “They can advocate for laws that protect young people’s ability to access abortion care, work to educate both teens and the adults in their lives and provide confidential guidance when parental involvement is not safe.

“No young person should be forced to continue a pregnancy because they lack supportive adults or face legal barriers to care,” she said.

For more information:

Laura D. Lindberg, PhD, MA, can be reached at pediatrics@healio.com.