And as leading Democrats in the Senate had confidently predicted, Baker did not veto the most controversial aspect of the bill, which was associated with abortions later in pregnancy. Massachusetts politicians were quick to speak out against SCOTUS` opinion and increased their support for access to abortion. Petition under G.L. v. 112, § 12R (Mary Moe Petition) Used to seek a court order allowing a doctor to perform an abortion on a minor under the age of 16 without parental consent “The people who will be most affected are people without means,” he said. “So people will have to leave the state to have an abortion, and some won`t be able to afford it. And, of course, they will have abortions anyway, but under less safe conditions. Abortion will remain legal in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Supreme Court recognized the right to abortion under the state constitution, and in 2021, Massachusetts passed comprehensive abortion legislation. • In 2017, there were 47 facilities in Massachusetts that offered abortion, and 19 of them were clinics. These figures represent a 36% increase in clinics compared to 2014, when there were a total of 43 abortion centers, 14 of which were clinics.
[1] Since Roe, the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that the Constitution protects abortion as an essential freedom linked to other freedoms to make personal decisions regarding family, relationships, and physical autonomy. Roe had two key roles: First, the court ruled that before viability, it was the decision of a pregnant person – not the government – whether or not to continue a pregnancy. As a result, the government cannot ban abortion for any reason before viability.4 And at a Planned Parenthood site in Boston, officials informed people that despite the seismic change in federal law, women could still have an abortion. NIFLA v. Becerra, 138 pp. Ct. 2361 (2018) Under the First Amendment, religiously oriented “crisis pregnancy centers” that do not offer abortions are not required to inform women about public programs that provide access to free or low-cost abortions. It is also “likely” contrary to the First Amendment to require clinics that do not have a medical license to disclose this fact. Massachusetts has one of the broadest abortion accesses in the country, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Many other states have restrictions such as wait times, counseling or ultrasound required, insurance restrictions, and regulations regarding physical clinics and buildings where abortions can be performed — none of which apply to Massachusetts. 2. Fuentes L and Jerman J, Distance to Receive Clinical Abortion Care in the United States and Reasons to Choose a Clinic, Journal of Women`s Health, 2019, doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2018.7496.
On June 24, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion. The 6-3 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women`s Health Organization means that states will be able to enact their own abortion laws. Outside of Planned Parenthood in Boston. They make it clear that women in Massachusetts can still have an abortion, even though Roe v. Wade is overthrown. @NBC10Boston @necn pic.twitter.com/G9YV68mBf8 “Massachusetts remains firm in its commitment to protecting access to reproductive health services, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court`s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade,” Baker said in a statement Friday morning. “This new legislation signed today builds on this measure by protecting patients and providers from legal interference from more restrictive laws in other states. We are grateful for the compromise and commitment to the issue that our colleagues in the Legislative Assembly have shown to make this important non-partisan legislation a reality.
Massachusetts law requires providers to report certain abortions to the state. [3]Id. § 12Q. Massachusetts law restricts the provision of abortion treatments during the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy to licensed physicians and to circumstances where the patient`s life or health is in danger or the fetus has a fatal genetic abnormality. [4]Id. § 12N. You need to come back in 0 weeks to make sure your abortion is complete and that you are fine. Roe vs. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) minority by Dobbs. The court ruled that a woman`s constitutional right to privacy includes her decision to terminate a pregnancy. The right was not unlimited, as states have an interest in regulating abortions in the later stages of pregnancy.
If your last period was more than 10 weeks ago, read more about our abortion services at the clinic below.