Skip to content

Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022

Does Arizona have one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the US?


yes

Arizona is among 13 states with the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research and policy organization. A near-total ban on abortion crafted during Arizona’s territorial days has been enforceable since Sept. 23, 2022. It criminalizes virtually all abortions, including those involving pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, except in cases where the mother’s life is in danger. Abortion providers who defy the law face up to five years in prison. The pre-statehood ban conflicts with another law recently enacted by the Arizona Legislature, which prohibits abortions after 15 weeks. Lawsuits seeking clarity over which should take precedence are ongoing. Nonetheless, limits on abortion in Arizona remain some of the strictest in the nation.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.

See all fact briefs

The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.

Learn More

Be a Friend of facts

Help us fund more great fact briefs like this one.