West Virginia Passes Near-Total Abortion Ban

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 14, 2022
CONTACT: [email protected]

This week, West Virginia became the second state to pass a new abortion ban since the Dobbs Supreme Court decision in June. The ban will take effect immediately upon the governor’s signature.

Statement from Melissa Fowler, Chief Program Officer at the National Abortion Federation: 

“Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade this summer, one-third of the country has lost access to abortion care in their state. Abortion bans like the one passed in West Virginia deny people access to the health care they need and can have devastating consequences for the health of families and communities. This bill is politically motivated, and threatens to put medical providers in prison simply for providing health care. 

West Virginia legislators passed this ban just hours after anti-abortion politicians introduced a national abortion ban in the U.S. Senate. The American people overwhelmingly support access to safe, legal abortion, and we cannot stand by while lawmakers continue to impose abortion bans and interfere with people’s personal health care decisions. 

We are inspired by our members who are forced to adapt in order to continue serving their communities under increasing abortion restrictions, including in the face of rising violence against providers by anti-abortion extremists. NAF remains committed to helping as many people as possible access abortion care, no matter their income, race, or zip code. Anyone in any state can call the NAF Hotline at 1-800-772-9100 to understand their options and get the assistance they need, whether that’s help finding a provider, arranging travel to another state, or funding for their care.”

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