Record number of state abortion restrictions enacted in first half of 2011

Nothing like a visual chart to make it drastically clear of just how extreme the war on reproductive rights actually is — and how it’s winning. Guttmacher’s new study gives us the goods:

In the first six months of 2011, states enacted 162 new provisions related to reproductive health and rights. Fully 49% of these new laws seek to restrict access to abortion services, a sharp increase from 2010, when 26% of new laws restricted abortion. The 80 abortion restrictions enacted this year are more than double the previous record of 34 abortion restrictions enacted in 2005—and more than triple the 23 enacted in 2010. All of these new provisions were enacted in just 19 states.

They break down the efforts as a mix of old strategies as well as new ones, and highlight the important reminder that many of these efforts aren’t just targeting abortion access, but family planning services. Bad news bears, folks. Check it.

Join the Conversation