Abortion in Massachusetts

Abortion in Massachusetts is legal, although terminations after the 24th week can only be performed if a physician determines it to be medically necessary.[1] Modern Massachusetts is considered to be one of the most pro-abortion rights states in the country; a 2014 Pew Research poll found that 74% of residents supported the right to an abortion in all or most cases, a higher percentage than any other state in 2014.[2] Marches supporting abortion rights took place as part of the #StoptheBans movement in May 2019.[3] The 2023 American Values Atlas reported that, in their most recent survey, 78% of people from Massachusetts said that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.[4]

In 2020, the legislature overrode Republican governor Charlie Baker's veto of the ROE Act, to codify existing abortion laws in the case of Roe vs. Wade being struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Individuals can seek abortion without parental consent at the age of 16, and seek an abortion after the 24th week in cases of fetal abnormalities, or risks to physical or mental health.[5]

The number of abortion clinics in Massachusetts, like other U.S. states, has declined in recent years. In 2014, there were 19,354 legal abortions performed in the Commonwealth.

  1. ^ "Massachusetts law about abortion | Mass.gov". www.mass.gov. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  2. ^ "Religious Landscape Study". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  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. ^ Romo, Vanessa (December 29, 2020). "Massachusetts Senate Overrides Veto, Passes Law Expanding Abortion Access". NPR. Retrieved August 18, 2022.