Abortion Restrictions in Arizona

Arizona has decades of harmful laws intended to prevent people from accessing abortion in our state. Here are some of the barriers every person who can become pregnant in Arizona should be aware of, especially if they plan to have an abortion. While abortion is still temporarily available in Arizona, here are other laws and barriers that may impact access to care:

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• People cannot get an abortion in Arizona after 15 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. Anyone past that point will need to make an appointment with a provider out-of-state and travel to access care.

• Many laws target abortion providers and clinics, making it hard for new clinics to open and existing clinics to operate. Because of this, there are only five abortion clinics in Phoenix and two clinics in Tucson. Patients are required to receive an ultrasound and consultation at least 24 hours before the abortion procedure. That means patients must plan to make at least two trips to the clinic — one for the consultation and one for the procedure. During the consultation, physicians are forced to:

  •  Share confusing and misleading information about pregnancy options. This is a state-required attempt to interfere with a person’s choice to have an abortion.

  •  Offer patients the option to view the ultrasound and get an explanation of what it shows, both of which the patient may decline. 

• Anyone under the age of 18 must have the permission of a parent or legal guardian to get an abortion, or seek approval of a judge through a process called Judicial Bypass. 

• Arizona law mandates that medication abortion must be acquired, prescribed, and dispensed in-person by a physician.

• People cannot access medication abortion via telehealth or prescriptions by mail from an Arizona physician. 

• Arizona does not cover abortion care under state medicaid, known as Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System(AHCCCS). 

• Insurance plans offered through the state health care exchange are prohibited from offering abortion coverage.

• Health insurance policies offered to public employees in Arizona do not cover abortion.

• Arizona bans physicians from providing abortion care to patients who have openly told the provider that they decided to have an abortion because of a fetal abnormality.
   

Have questions about how these laws may impact your access to care, or need help getting an abortion? Call (602) 327-5166 and leave us a message. A volunteer will return your call in 1 - 2 days to provide resources and support.

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