Access to abortion care has improved in Ohio, according to a multiyear assessment, but opponents both within and outside the state legislature are still working to impose more regulations against it.
The Reproductive Health Experiences and Access Study found enhanced access to care based on interviews with policymakers, healthcare providers, advocates, and focus groups of women aged 18 to 49. The study, a collaboration between the Urban Institute, the Reproductive Equity Action Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, noted that interviewees perceived Ohio’s reproductive rights amendment has “meaningfully reduced barriers to care.” However, the study also stated that access remains uneven, politically contested, and shaped by institutional, financial, and geographic constraints.
Key positives identified by those interviewed included the removal of a 24-hour waiting period for abortion care and other requirements. The expansion of medication abortion was described as “especially impactful for rural and Appalachian communities,” where access to procedural abortions remains limited. Ohio’s constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights was approved by 57% of Ohio voters in 2023. Despite this, some included in the access study noted that the amendment “has not ended political efforts to restrict abortion access in Ohio.”
Republican state lawmakers have consistently tried to undermine the amendment through regulatory adjustments and measures aimed at preventing funding from reaching facilities that provide abortion care. One focus group participant in the study expressed concern, stating that bills “keep popping up to undo what we already voted on.”
Opposition to abortion care extends beyond Ohio’s statehouse. Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted participated in a congressional hearing focused on the alleged “dangers” of mifepristone, an abortion drug that the FDA has approved as safe and effective since 2000. Additionally, the president of the Ohio religious lobby group Center for Christian Virtue joined a statement with national organizations like the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, the U.S. Pastors Council, and the anti-abortion rights group Live Action. This statement called on Dr. Heidi Overton, the nominee for FDA commissioner, to “reverse Biden-era mifepristone policies while the FDA completes its ongoing review.” The groups’ letter expressed skepticism about a re-review of FDA regulations for the drug and argued that mail-order abortion is “undermining state laws enacted to protect unborn life and women.” Dr. Overton herself has taken a stance against medication abortion, co-authoring a 2023 piece for the America First Policy Institute advocating for policies to focus on “immediately halting the effort to normalize abortion-on-demand.” Decades of scientific studies have demonstrated the safety of abortion medication, with serious complications being rare. However, anti-abortion rights groups have cited one specific study to suggest that “adverse effects” are occurring more frequently than other research indicates.
Public opinion data from the Pew Research Center indicates that most adults in America support legal abortion. A January survey this year found 60% of those polled believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Support for abortion is also high among most religious individuals, with the exception of white evangelical Protestants. Only 24% of those identifying as white evangelicals support abortion, while 68% of Black Protestants, 63% of White non-evangelical Protestants, and 57% of Catholics surveyed said abortion should be legal.
Meanwhile, facilities often referred to as crisis pregnancy centers or pregnancy resource centers, which are backed by religious groups and do not offer abortion as an option, are receiving funding from both national and state sources. A national analysis by Reproductive Health and Freedom Watch identified over 2,600 such clinics operating in the United States, projecting an annual national revenue of $2.6 billion by 2026. The organization also found more than 100 pieces of legislation related to these clinics across 32 states. Ohio was specifically noted for Senate Bill 9, a measure that created a tax credit for donations to these centers. Passed unanimously by the Ohio Senate and 87-6 in the House earlier this year, S.B. 9 included a provision allowing Ohioans to deduct up to $750 in “contributions the taxpayer makes to a pregnancy resource center.” Researchers from Reproductive Health and Freedom Watch stated that such measures “effectively route millions in taxpayer funding” to these clinics by reducing individuals’ state tax obligations based on their donations.
As the 2026 general election approaches, reproductive rights are expected to be a significant factor for voters. Republican governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has used social media to describe himself as “unapologetically pro-life,” while Democratic nominee Dr. Amy Acton has expressed support for maintaining and broadening reproductive care, including abortions and contraception, though specific plans have not been detailed. Changes in the governorship and state legislature are anticipated to influence future abortion and anti-abortion rights measures.
