Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We sought to understand more about women affected by a law enacted in January 2013 that led Georgia providers to stop providing abortion services at 24 weeks from a woman's last menstrual period (LMP), and who would be affected if Georgia enforces the law banning abortions at 22 weeks from LMP. METHODS: We obtained data on women obtaining abortions at or after 20 weeks from LMP in 2012 and 2013 from 4 Georgia facilities providing later abortion care. We analyzed data descriptively and with the χ (2) test. RESULTS: More than half of the women were Black; one fourth were White. Close to half of the women had education beyond high school and a similar proportion had a previous live birth. Eighty-three percent of women at or after 24 weeks came from the South, 4% from the Northeast, and 13% from the Midwest; 99% of those at 20 to 24 weeks were from the South. One third of women at or after 24 weeks and half at 20 to 24 weeks were Georgia residents. CONCLUSIONS: These bans will likely affect women throughout the South, as well as the Midwest and Northeast.