Health

Tracking Abortion Bans Across the Country

Published

2 years ago

July 2, 2024

Press Room

Tracking Abortion Bans Across the Country

Ala. Alabama

Banned — Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. Ark. Arkansas

Banned — Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. Idaho Idaho

Banned — Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances, and the Idaho Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that there is no constitutional right to an abortion in the state. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling will allow access to emergency abortions while lower courts decide if the state’s ban violates a federal law requiring emergency care for any patient. Ind. Indiana

Banned — Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. In 2023, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled that the state Constitution does not include a right to abortion except in dire situations. A separate challenge to the ban by residents who argue that it violates their religious rights is ongoing. Ky. Kentucky

Banned

— Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. In 2022, voters rejected a ballot measure that would have amended the state Constitution to say it did not contain the right to an abortion. La. Louisiana

Banned — Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. Miss. Mississippi

Banned — Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. Mo. Missouri

Banned — Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. N.D. North Dakota

Banned — Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. Okla. Oklahoma

Banned

— Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. S.D. South Dakota

Banned — Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. Voters will decide in November whether to enact a constitutional amendment that prohibits regulation of abortion in the first trimester. Tenn. Tennessee

Banned — Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. Texas Texas

Banned — Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. Private citizens can sue abortion providers and those who assist patients who are seeking an abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy. W.Va. West Virginia

Banned — Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. Fla. Florida

Gestational limit

6 weeks Abortion is banned after about six weeks of pregnancy. The Florida Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that the state Constitution’s privacy protections do not extend to abortion. Voters will decide in November whether to enshrine a right to abortion in the state Constitution. Ga. Georgia

Gestational limit 6 weeks Abortion is banned after about six weeks of pregnancy. In 2023, the State Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s ruling that the ban was void. The lower court must still weigh whether the ban violates the state’s Constitution. S.C. South Carolina

Gestational limit 6 weeks Abortion is banned after about six weeks of pregnancy. The South Carolina Supreme Court upheld the ban in 2023, finding that the state Constitution’s privacy protections do not extend to abortion. Neb. Nebraska

Gestational limit 12 weeks Abortion is banned after 12 weeks of pregnancy. N.C. North Carolina

Gestational limit 12 weeks Abortion is banned after 12 weeks of pregnancy. Ariz. Arizona

Gestational limit

15 weeks Abortion is banned after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The legislature repealed a law from 1864 that would have placed a near-total ban on abortions. Utah Utah

Gestational limit 18 weeks Abortion is banned after 18 weeks of pregnancy. A judge has temporarily blocked a law that would have halted most abortions by requiring the procedure to be performed in hospitals. Another ban on most abortions was indefinitely blocked, and the State Supreme Court is expected to rule on it in 2024. Iowa Iowa

Ban blocked 22 weeks The Iowa Supreme Court ruled in June that the state’s six-week abortion ban can soon be enforced while a lawsuit against it proceeds. It will take at least 21 days for the case to go back to the district court, during which time abortion will remain legal. Mont. Montana

Ban blocked Viability The Montana Supreme Court has ruled that the state Constitution protects the right to an abortion. A ban on the most commonly used procedure in the second trimester and several other restrictions have been blocked by a court. Wyo. Wyoming

Ban blocked Viability A judge has temporarily blocked a ban on most abortions and another law that explicitly bans the use of abortion pills. A separate ban on most abortions remains indefinitely blocked. Alaska Alaska

Legal

No limit The State Supreme Court has recognized a right to “reproductive choice” under the state Constitution. Kan. Kansas

Legal 22 weeks The State Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that a pregnant woman’s right to personal autonomy is protected in the state Constitution, and in 2022, Kansans rejected a ballot measure that would have removed the right to abortion from the state Constitution. N.H. New Hampshire

Legal 24 weeks Abortion is not expressly protected by state law. Ohio Ohio

Legal 22 weeks Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2023. Courts are still deciding how the amendment affects existing abortion restrictions, such as waiting periods and consent requirements. Va. Virginia

Legal Viability Abortion is not expressly protected by state law. Wis. Wisconsin

Legal

22 weeks In late 2023, a Wisconsin judge ruled that an 1849 law widely interpreted as a ban did not apply to abortion. The case may come before the State Supreme Court, which has a liberal majority. D.C. Washington, D.C.

Legal with new protections No limit Local law protects abortion throughout pregnancy and shields providers and patients from laws in other jurisdictions. Calif. California

Legal with new protections Viability The California Supreme Court has recognized a right to abortion and voters explicitly enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2022. State law protects abortion and shields patients and providers from laws in other states. Colo. Colorado

Legal with new protections No limit State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing the procedure in Colorado from laws in other states. Voters will decide in November if the state Constitution should provide a right to an abortion. Conn. Connecticut

Legal with new protections Viability State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Connecticut from laws in other states. Del. Delaware

Legal with new protections

Viability State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Delaware from laws in other states. Hawaii Hawaii

Legal with new protections Viability State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Hawaii from laws in other states. Ill. Illinois

Legal with new protections Viability The State Supreme Court has recognized abortion protections under the state Constitution. State law protects the procedure and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Illinois from laws in other states. Maine Maine

Legal with new protections Viability State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Maine from laws in other states. A 2023 law allows an abortion past the point of fetal viability if a doctor decides it is medically necessary. Md. Maryland

Legal with new protections Viability State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Maryland from laws in other states. Voters will decide in November whether the state Constitution should establish a right to reproductive freedom. Mass. Massachusetts

Legal with new protections

24 weeks The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has recognized the right to abortion under the state Constitution. A law shields those seeking or providing abortions in Massachusetts from laws in other states, regardless of the patient’s location. Mich. Michigan

Legal with new protections Viability Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2022. State law protects abortion and an executive order shields those seeking or providing abortions in Michigan from laws in other states. Minn. Minnesota

Legal with new protections No limit The State Supreme Court has recognized the right to abortion under the state Constitution. State law protects a right to reproductive care and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Minnesota from laws in other states. Nev. Nevada

Legal with new protections 24 weeks State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Nevada from laws in other states. Voters will decide in November if the state Constitution should provide a right to an abortion. N.J. New Jersey

Legal with new protections No limit The New Jersey Supreme Court has recognized the right to abortion under the state Constitution. State law protects abortion throughout pregnancy and shields those seeking or providing abortions in New Jersey from laws in other states. N.M. New Mexico

Legal with new protections

No limit State law shields those seeking or providing abortions in New Mexico from laws in other states. N.Y. New York

Legal with new protections Viability State law protects abortion and shields patients and providers from laws in other states. Voters will decide in November whether there should be equal protection for reproductive health care and autonomy under the state’s bill of rights. Ore. Oregon

Legal with new protections No limit State law protects abortion throughout pregnancy and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Oregon from laws in other states. Pa. Pennsylvania

Legal with new protections 24 weeks An executive order shields those seeking or providing abortions in Pennsylvania from laws in other states. R.I. Rhode Island

Legal with new protections Viability State law protects abortion and an executive order shields those seeking or providing abortions in Rhode Island from laws in other states. Vt. Vermont

Legal with new protections

No limit Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2022. State law protects abortion throughout pregnancy and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Vermont from laws in other states, including those using medication abortion. Wash. Washington

Legal with new protections Viability State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Washington from laws in other states.

Health

Heart disease threat projected to climb sharply for key demographic

Published

6 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Heart disease threat projected to climb sharply for key demographic

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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.

The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.

More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.

The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.

As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)

Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.

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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”

“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.

NEARLY 90% OF AMERICANS AT RISK OF SILENT DISEASE — HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW

“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)

Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”

The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.

The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.

DOCTOR SHARES 3 SIMPLE CHANGES TO STAY HEALTHY AND INDEPENDENT AS YOU AGE

“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”

Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.

Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)

Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.

The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.

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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”

“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”

“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)

“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”

The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.

“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”

Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle reporter for Fox News Digital.

Health

Vanessa Williams, 62, Opens up About Weight Loss and HRT After Menopause

Published

17 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Vanessa Williams, 62, Opens up About Weight Loss and HRT After Menopause

Vanessa Williams Opens up About Weight Loss and HRT | Woman’s World

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Health

Common vision issue linked to type of lighting used in Americans’ homes

Published

18 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Common vision issue linked to type of lighting used in Americans’ homes

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Nearsightedness (myopia) is skyrocketing globally, with nearly half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.

Heavy use of smartphones and other devices is associated with an 80% higher risk of myopia when combined with excessive computer use, but a new study suggests that dim indoor lighting could also be a factor.

For years, scientists have been puzzled by the different ways myopia is triggered. In lab settings, it can be induced by blurring vision or using different lenses. Conversely, it can be slowed by something as simple as spending time outdoors, research suggests.

Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This physical elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.

The study suggests that myopia isn’t caused by the digital devices themselves, but by the low-light environments where they are typically used. (iStock)

Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry identified a potential specific trigger for this growth. When someone looks at a phone or a book up close, the pupil naturally constricts.

COMMON VISION ISSUE COULD LEAD TO MISSED CANCER WARNING, STUDY FINDS

“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, a SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study, said in a press release.

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“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets or books, the pupil can also constrict — not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image,” she went on. “In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”

High-intensity natural light prevents myopia because it provides enough retinal stimulation to override the “stop growing” signal, even when pupils are constricted. (iStock)

The hypothesis suggests that when the retina is deprived of light during extended close-up work, it sends a signal for the eye to grow.

In a dim environment, the narrowed pupil allows so little light through that the retinal activity isn’t strong enough to signal the eye to stop growing, the researchers found.

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In contrast, being outdoors provides light levels much brighter than indoors. This ensures that even when the pupil narrows to focus on a nearby object, the retina still receives a strong signal, maintaining healthy eye development.

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The team noted some limitations of the study, including the small subject group and the inability to directly measure internal lens changes, as the bright backgrounds used to mimic the outdoors made pupils too small for standard equipment.

Researchers believe that increasing indoor brightness during close-up work could be a simple, testable way to slow the global nearsightedness epidemic. (iStock)

“This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, MD, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor and senior author of the study, said in the release.

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“But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting and eye focusing interact.”

The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.

Khloe Quill is a lifestyle production assistant with Fox News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a range of story topics including food and drink, travel, and health.