A new nationally representative KFF Women’s Health Survey examining the broader impact of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade finds that one in seven (14%) women of childbearing age report having had an abortion at some point in their lives. Across all party lines, Republican women (12%), Democratic women (14%), and independent women (15%) report having had an abortion.

The survey found concerns about access to emergency abortion services. More than six in 10 women of childbearing age (18-49 years) in the United States (63%) are concerned that they or a loved one would not be able to have an abortion if it were necessary to protect their life or health. They are also concerned that abortion bans could affect the safety of a possible future pregnancy for themselves or a loved one (64%).

Three-quarters of Democratic women of childbearing age and six in 10 independent women nationwide are concerned about access to abortion in pregnancy-related emergencies. A sizable minority of Republican women in this age group (42%) also share these concerns.

Bipartisan differences emerged on whether abortion policy should be left to individual states. Former President Trump supports the policy because it maintains current bans and restrictions in half the country. The poll shows that seven in 10 women of childbearing age (74%) oppose leaving abortion policy to individual states. This includes most Republicans (53%), Democrats (86%) and independents (73%).

Additionally, many women in the U.S. are unclear about the status of abortion policy in their state (45%), don’t know how to get an abortion if they need one in the near future (26%), or don’t know that people in their state can get medication abortion pills online (19%). Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, the landscape of abortion bans and restrictions at the state level has changed rapidly.

The poll also examines the experiences and perspectives of women in Florida – where the issue will be on the ballot in November – and Arizona, a swing state that may hold a referendum on abortion in the fall. Nearly one in five (18%) women of childbearing age in Florida say they have had an abortion. Among women of childbearing age in Arizona, 15% say they have had an abortion at some point in their lives. Seven in 10 women in Arizona (70%) and Florida (72%) say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Further results:

• In Florida, only one in five women (18%) are aware that medication abortion is still legal in their state (abortion is possible up to six weeks in Florida). About a third (34%) do not know where to get an abortion or where to find the information needed, and only one in 10 women (9%) know that medication abortion pills can be purchased online. In Arizona (where abortion is currently possible up to 15 weeks), awareness is similarly low, particularly among lower-income women who are disproportionately affected by abortion restrictions, are less informed about abortion access in their state, and have greater concerns about pregnancy safety.
• The aftermath of the overturning of Roe v. Wade has resulted in significant numbers of women reporting that they themselves have had difficulty—or know someone who has had difficulty—getting an abortion. Nearly one in 10 (8%) women of childbearing age in the United States personally know someone, including themselves, who has had difficulty getting an abortion since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, including 11% of Hispanic women and 13% of women living in states with abortion bans. Barriers cited included traveling to other states for care, not knowing where to go, and lacking money to cover costs.
• Across the United States, 17% of women of childbearing age report that they have changed their birth control methods as a result of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Actions taken include taking birth control, undergoing sterilization, switching to a more effective method, or purchasing emergency contraception to keep on hand.

Conducted regularly since 2001, this analysis of the 2024 KFF Women’s Health Survey includes a nationally representative sample of 3,901 women ages 18 to 49. The survey was conducted May 15 to June 18, 2024, and was developed and analyzed by KFF staff.

Read the three reports:

Experiences, knowledge and attitudes towards abortion among women in the United States: Results of the 2024 KFF Women’s Health Survey

Women and Abortion in Florida: Results from the 2024 KFF Women’s Health Survey

Women and Abortion in Arizona: Results from the 2024 KFF Women’s Health Survey