Abortion in Colorado

Abortion in Colorado is legal at all stages of pregnancy. It is one of seven states without any term restrictions as to when a pregnancy can be terminated.[1]

Outpatient abortion is available at all stages of the pregnancy. In addition, medically indicated termination of pregnancy up to term is also an option for conditions such as fetal anomalies, genetic disorder, fetal demise and/or severe medical problems.[2]

59% of adults said in a 2014 Pew Research Center poll that abortion should be legal in all or most cases and 36% said it should be illegal in all or most cases.[3] The 2023 American Values Atlas reported that, in their most recent survey, 65% of Coloradans said that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.[4] In 1962, the American Law Institute published their model penal code as it applied to abortions with three circumstances where they believed a physician could justifiably perform an abortion. A version of this was enacted into law in 1967.[5] Colorado became the first state to decriminalize abortion in cases of rape, incest, or in which pregnancy would lead to permanent physical disability of the woman.

In state politics, the Colorado Democratic Party largely support access to abortion while the Colorado Republican Party have embraced hardline anti-abortion stances which have included proposing laws to restrict or even ban abortion in the state.[6][7]

  1. ^ Gal, Grace Panetta, Shayanne. "The latest point in pregnancy you can get an abortion in all 50 states". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Reproductive Rights in Colorado". NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  3. ^ "Religious Landscape Study". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  4. ^ "Abortion Views in All 50 States: Findings from PRRI's 2023 American Values Atlas | PRRI". PRRI | At the intersection of religion, values, and public life. May 2, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  5. ^ Staff, TIME (April 25, 2017). "It's Been 50 Years Since Colorado Passed This Groundbreaking Abortion Law". TIME. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  6. ^ Coltrain, Nick (February 25, 2022). "Colorado Democrats stop GOP's anti-abortion measures and brace for threat to Roe v. Wade". The Denver Post. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  7. ^ Paul, Jesse (February 2, 2022). "Efforts to affirm abortion access in Colorado won't stop some lawmakers from trying to reverse course". Colorado Sun. Retrieved March 19, 2022 – via The Durango Herald.