A Geospatial Analysis of Abortion Access in the United States After the Reversal of Roe v Wade

Maeve Alterio; Robin Von Davies; Michele Tobias; Arthur Koehl; Jennifer H Tang; Dawn Kopp

doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000005329

A Geospatial Analysis of Abortion Access in the United States After the Reversal of Roe v Wade

Obstet Gynecol. 2023 Nov 1;142(5):1077-1085. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005329. Epub 2023 Jul 26.

Authors

Maeve Alterio¹, Robin Von Davies, Michele Tobias, Arthur Koehl, Jennifer H Tang, Dawn Kopp

Affiliation

¹ Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington; DataLab: Data Science and Informatics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California; and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

PMID: 37499266
DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005329

Abstract

Objective: To investigate current abortion access in the United States based on geographic location and to forecast access according to the landscape of abortion care in the year after the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization decision.

Methods: Addresses of abortion-providing clinics were identified using web-based directories from Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Foundation, Abortion Finder, and Power to Decide. Using geographic coordinates and the OpenStreetMap road network, Valhalla's Isochrone application programming interface was used to calculate the areas within a 30-, 60-, and 90-minute driving distance from these clinics. The population of reproductive-aged women (15-49 years) in the tracts inside or outside the accessible areas was determined using the U.S. Census American Community Survey for 2020. Review of legislative and judicial actions for 2023 determined at-risk states. Clinic locations and laws are accurate as of June 2, 2023.

Results: The addresses of 750 abortion facilities were geocoded. Currently, 41.4% (30.8 million) of women do not have access to an abortion clinic within a 30-minute drive, and 29.3% and 23.6% do not have access within a 60-minute and 90-minute drive, respectively. When accounting for the combined population with no access, severely limited access, and at-risk of losing access, 53.5% of women do not have access within a 30-minute drive, and 45.6% and 43.0% do not have access within a 60-minute and 90-minute drive, respectively.

Discussion: Two of every five American women do not have access to an abortion facility within a 30-minute drive, and one in four lack access within a 90-minute drive. These proportions could significantly increase if access is restricted further with state bans proposed in 2023.