Society
Abortion Desert in US South Is Hurting Black Women the Most
States implementing most severe restrictions tend to have bigger Black populations
Abortion rights demonstrators in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 23.
Photographer: Megan Varner/Getty Images
This article is for subscribers only.
In the weeks since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, an abortion desert has ballooned in the US South, where bans are hitting Black women hardest.
Across the country Black patients have an abortion rate roughly four times that of their White peers, in part due to lower use of contraception that leads to higher rates of unintended pregnancies. In the states that have moved quickly to enact restrictions, Black women make up a far larger proportion of abortion seekers than in places where abortion remains legal.