Where are New England Abortion Deserts?
We know that abortion access in New England will remain legal, regardless of the Supreme Court’s final decision. But just because abortion is legal, doesn’t mean access to care is guaranteed.
In fact, five of the six New England states have “abortion deserts,” or areas where people do not have access to in-clinic abortion care within 50 miles (Rhode Island is the only exception, only because of the size of the state!). That means in the majority of our region, someone seeking an abortion at an abortion clinic has to travel over an hour, one-way, for care – and that’s assuming they have a car. On public transportation, abortion care is even harder to access.
That’s surprising in a region where abortion is thought to be widely accessible. In our recent survey, most people (72%) either don't know (42%) or don't believe (30%) there are abortion deserts of 50+ miles in their state.
This gap in access disproportionately impacts young people. A recent report by the Boston Globe shows that more than half of people getting abortions in Massachusetts are in their 20s. So, for example, a student at UMass Dartmouth has to travel 62 miles or 6 hours roundtrip via public transit for an in-clinic abortion. It means that for students with limited time, financial resources, and access to transportation, abortion care may not be as easily accessible as one would think.
medabortiononmacollegecampuses.org