Abortion in West Virginia

Abortion in West Virginia is illegal[1] except in cases of rape or incest (under 14 weeks), fatal fetal abnormalities, and when the mother’s life is at risk from a pregnancy.[2]

The number of clinics in West Virginia has declined steeply from the original nineteen over the years, with ten in 1982, five in 1992, two in 2014, and one in 2017. There were 1,730 legal abortions in 2014, and 1,516 in 2015.

On September 13, 2022, West Virginia passed a near-total abortion ban in both houses of its legislature. Governor Jim Justice signed the bill into law on September 16, 2022.[3] The Constitution of West Virginia was amended in 2018 to expressly ban abortion access.[4]

The near-total ban on abortions is currently being challenged in court.[5]

  1. ^ "Bill Status - HB 302". www.wvlegislature.gov. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  2. ^ "West Virginia governor signs bill into law banning abortion with few exceptions".
  3. ^ "West Virginia lawmakers OK abortion ban with few exceptions". POLITICO. Associated Press. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  4. ^ "West Virginia". Center for Reproductive Rights. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  5. ^ "West Virginia abortion provider files challenge to near-total abortion ban". February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.