Abortion in South Dakota

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Abortion in South Dakota is illegal. Anyone who induces an abortion is guilty of a Class 6 felony. [1] An exception is included to "preserve the life of the pregnant female," given appropriate and reasonable medical judgment. [1]

Contents

There were 878 legal abortions in 2000, 895 in 2001, 819 in 2003, 551 in 2014, and 444 in 2015.

History

Legislative history

By 1950, the state legislature had passed a law stating that a woman who had an abortion or actively sought to have an abortion, regardless of whether she went through with it, was guilty of a criminal offense. [2] Some states require that a person seeking an abortion must wait for a period of one to six days, depending on the state, after visiting the provider for the first time and before having the procedure. South Dakota requires that the patient obtain mandatory counseling from an anti-abortion crisis pregnancy center during this time frame. [3]

In 2004, a bill outlawing abortion passed both houses of the legislature, but was vetoed by the Governor due to a technicality. The state's legislature subsequently passed five laws curtailing the legality of abortion in 2005. [4] The majority of a legislative "task force" [5] then issued a report recommending that the legislature illegalize all abortions, which would lead to a challenge of the constitutionality of Roe v. Wade in the United States Supreme Court. A separate minority report criticizing the process and reaching different conclusions was also released. [6]

The South Dakota legislature passed a law in 2006 that would have banned abortion in the state. Several members of the South Dakota legislative majority, as well as Governor Rounds, acknowledged that the overt goal of this law, the Women's Health and Human Life Protection Act, was to get the Supreme Court to overturn Roe. [7] It was signed into law by Republican Governor Mike Rounds. Planned Parenthood successfully challenged the law using a ballot initiative instead of using the courts. [8] [9] The state was one of 23 states in 2007 to have a detailed abortion-specific informed consent requirement. [10] In the informed consent materials given to women in Idaho, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas required by statute, the materials used graphic and inflammatory language. The law also required the woman be told how far advanced her pregnancy was. [11] The informed consent materials in South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia given to women seeking abortions include counseling materials that say women who have abortions may have suicidal thoughts or they may experience "postabortion traumatic stress syndrome". The latter syndrome is not recognized by American Psychological Association or the American Psychiatric Association. [11] The written informed consent materials in South Dakota say "unborn child may feel physical pain" without specifying any time period during gestation. The Journal of the American Medical Association has concluded that pain sensors do not develop in the fetus until between weeks 23 and 30. [11]

In 2008, the South Dakota legislature passed another anti-abortion law, this time one that would have banned abortion in all cases except for rape, incest, and the health of the woman. Planned Parenthood again successfully challenged this using a ballot initiative instead of using the courts. [8] In 2013, the Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) state law applied to medication-induced abortions and private doctor offices in addition to abortion clinics. [12] The state had a law on the books in August 2018 that would be triggered if Roe v. Wade was overturned. [13] (The Supreme Court did overturn Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization , No. 19-1392 , 597 U.S. ___(2022) . [14] [15] ) As of 2018, South Dakota prohibits the use of state funds for abortions unless the mother's life is in danger. [16] In mid-May 2019, state law banned abortion after week 22. [9] On September 7, 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Kristi Noem signed an executive order requiring in-person medical visits—not merely telehealth appointments—for the prescription of medication abortions. [17]

Ballot box history

A referendum to repeal the Women's Health and Human Life Protection Act was placed on ballot for the November 2006 statewide election due to a successful petition drive by the organization South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families. On May 30, over 38,000 petition signatures were filed, more than twice the 17,000 required to place a measure on the ballot. On November 7, WHHLPA was repealed by the South Dakota electorate; the vote was 56%-44% favoring repeal. [8] [9] [18] [19] In 2008, Right to Life of South Dakota gathered enough signatures to put an initiative measure on the ballot. Initiative Measure 11 would have restricted abortion to cases involving rape, incest, and the woman's health. That initiative was defeated, by a vote of 55%-45%. [8] [20]

Judicial history

The US Supreme Court's decision in 1973's Roe v. Wade ruling meant the state could no longer regulate abortion in the first trimester. [2] However, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization , No. 19-1392 , 597 U.S. ___(2022) . [14] [15] In Planned Parenthood v. Rounds (2012), the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled that a South Dakota law requiring doctors to give patients information about the potential suicide risk in women who have abortions was not unconstitutional. [21]

Clinic history

In 1981, Dr. Buck Williams started offering abortion services at his Sioux Falls clinic. At the time, he was the only abortion service provider in the state. In 1989, he approached Planned Parenthood about taking over his clinic. At the time, Planned Parenthood had no operations in South Dakota. They agreed, and have been the state's only abortion service provider ever since. [8] Planned Parenthood moved out of their old building, and the building was taken over by AlphaCenter and run by Leslee Unruh. [8] Another clinic had opened in the stated by 1982 but was closed by 1992. [22] In the period between 1992 and 1996, the state saw no change in the total number of abortion clinics. While only three states saw gains in this period, this state was one of four to see no changes, with one abortion clinic in the state in 1996. [23]

In 2014, there was one abortion clinic in the state. [24] In 2014, 98% of the counties in the state did not have an abortion clinic. That year, 77% of women in the state aged 15–44 lived in a county without an abortion clinic. [13] In 2016, only a small section of the state required women to drive fewer than 40 miles to access an abortion clinic. [25] In 2017, there was one Planned Parenthood clinic, which offered abortion services, in a state with a population of 181,145 women aged 15–49. [26] The Planned Parenthood facility was the only one providing abortion services in the state. Unable to find local doctors to run the clinic, they hired four doctors who flew in from out of state to work on rotation. [8] In May 2019, the state was one of six states in the nation with only one abortion clinic. [27]

Statistics

In the period between 1972 and 1974, there were zero recorded illegal abortion deaths in the state. [28] In 1990, 72,000 women in the state faced the risk of an unintended pregnancy. [22]

The lowest number of legal induced abortions by state in 2000 occurred in Idaho with 801, while South Dakota was second with 878, and North Dakota was third with 1,341. [29] Idaho had the fewest induced abortions in 2001 with 738, while South Dakota was second with 895, and North Dakota was third with 1,216. [30] In 2003, the state of South Dakota had the lowest number of legal induced abortions with 819. Idaho was second with 911, while North Dakota was third with 1,354. [31] In 2013, among white women aged 15–19, there were 70 abortions, 10 abortions for black women aged 15–19, 0 abortions for Hispanic women aged 15–19, and 10 abortions for women of all other races. [32] In 2014, 48% of adults said in a poll by the Pew Research Center that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. [33] In 2017, the state had an infant mortality rate of 7.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. [34]

Number of reported abortions, abortion rate and percentage change in rate by geographic region and state in 1992, 1995 and 1996 [23]
Census division and stateNumberRate % change 1992–1996
199219951996199219951996
West North Central57,34048,53048,66014.311.911.9–16
Iowa6,9706,0405,78011.49.89.4–17
Kansas12,57010,31010,63022.418.318.9–16
Minnesota16,18014,91014,66015.614.213.9–11
Missouri13,51010,54010,81011.68.99.1–21
Nebraska5,5804,3604,46015.712.112.3–22
North Dakota1,4901,3301,29010.79.69.4–13
South Dakota1,0401,0401,0306.86.66.5–4
Number, rate, and ratio of reported abortions, by reporting area of residence and occurrence and by percentage of abortions obtained by out-of-state residents, US CDC estimates
LocationResidenceOccurrence % obtained by

out-of-state residents

YearRef
No.Rate^Ratio^^No.Rate^Ratio^^
South Dakota1,0406.81992 [23]
South Dakota1,0406.61995 [23]
South Dakota1,0306.51996 [23]
South Dakota7554.8615513.54513.62014 [35]
South Dakota6594.2534442.83613.32015 [36]
South Dakota6644.2544723.03812.92016 [37]
^number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44; ^^number of abortions per 1,000 live births

Abortion rights views and activities

Protests

Women from the state participated in marches supporting abortion rights as part of a #StoptheBans movement in May 2019. [38]

Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, six people were arrested on June 29 following an abortion rights protest in Sioux Falls. [39] On July 9–10, hundreds of abortion rights protesters rallied and marched in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. [40] [41] On July 23, about 100 abortion rights protesters rallied and marched at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre. [42] Abortion rights protests were also held at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. [43]

On May 1, 2024, Dakotans For Health submitted a petition with over 55,000 signatures to get abortion rights on the ballot in the November 2024 election, more than the 35,000 signatures required. The proposed amendment to the state constitution would legalize abortion up to the point of fetal viability. [44]

Anti-abortion views and activities

Organizations

Alpha Center is a crisis pregnancy center based in Sioux Falls and run by Leslee Unruh. [8]

Violence

In October 1999, Martin Uphoff set fire to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Sioux Falls, causing $100 worth of damage. He was later sentenced to 60 months in prison. [45]

Related Research Articles

Abortion in Louisiana is mostly illegal as of August 1, 2022.

As of 2022, abortion in Missouri is illegal, with abortions only being legal in cases of medical emergency and several additional laws making access to abortion services difficult. In 2014, a poll by the Pew Research Center found that 52% of Missouri adults said that abortion should be legal vs. 46% that believe it should be illegal in all or most cases. According to a 2014 Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) study, 51% of white women in the state believed that abortion is legal in all or most cases.

Abortion in Alaska is legal on demand at all stages of pregnancy, as long as a licensed physician performs the procedure. As of 2016, Alaska does not require a minor to notify a parent or guardian in order to obtain an abortion. 63% of adults said in a poll by the Pew Research Center that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Alaska was one of only four states to make abortion legal between 1967 and 1970, a few years before the US Supreme Court's decision in 1973's Roe v. Wade ruling. Alaska had consent requirements for women seeking abortions by 2007 that required abortion providers to warn patients of a link between abortion and breast cancer, despite it being scientifically unsupported.

Abortion in Arkansas is illegal except when it is necessary to save the life of the mother. Doctors determined to have performed an abortion face up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $100,000.

Abortion in Colorado is legal at all stages of pregnancy. It is one of seven states without any term restrictions as to when a pregnancy can be terminated.

Abortion in Delaware is legal up to the point of fetal viability. 55% of adults said in a poll by the Pew Research Center that abortion should be legal and 38% stated it should be illegal in all or most cases. There was a therapeutic exceptions in the state's legislative ban on abortions by 1900. Informed consent laws were on the books by 2007. In 2017, Senator Bryan Townsend, D-Newark introduced legislation to try to make clear that abortion would remain legal in the state in case 1973's Roe v. Wade ruling was overturned. The legislation was subsequently updated. Attempts have been made to introduce mandatory ultrasound laws, but they failed to get out of committee. State legislators tried to move ahead the week at which a woman could get a legal abortion in 2019.

Abortion in Idaho is illegal from fertilization. Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, abortion in Idaho was criminalized by the trigger law which states that a person who performs an abortion may face two to five years of imprisonment. The ban allows exceptions for maternal health, rape and incest within the first trimester. The law took effect on August 25, 2022.

Abortion in Maine is legal, although terminations after fetal viability can only be performed if a physician determines it to be medically necessary. According to a poll by the Pew Research Center, 64% of adults said that abortion should be legal, with 33% stating that it should be illegal in all or most cases.

Abortion in Michigan is legal at all stages of pregnancy. A state constitutional amendment to explicitly guarantee abortion rights was placed on the ballot in 2022 as Michigan Proposal 22–3; it passed with 57 percent of the vote, adding the right to abortion and contraceptive use to the Michigan Constitution. The amendment largely prevents the regulation of abortion before fetal viability, unless said regulations are to protect the individual seeking an abortion, and it also makes it unconstitutional to make laws restricting abortions which would protect the life and health, physical and/or mental, of the pregnant individual seeking abortion.

Abortion in Montana is legal. The number of abortion clinics in Montana has fluctuated over the years, with twenty in 1982, twelve in 1992, eight providers of which seven were clinics in 2011, and five clinics in 2014. There were four clinics from 2015 to February 2018 when All Families Healthcare clinic in Whitefish reopened. There were 1,690 legal abortions in 2014, and 1,611 in 2015.

Abortion in Nebraska is legal up to the 12th week of pregnancy, after new legislation was signed in May 2023. In June 2023, a lawsuit was filed to challenge the state's abortion law. The legislation establishing the law contained provisions concerning both abortion and gender-affirming care, while the state constitution prohibits bills that legislate on multiple issues at once.

Abortion in North Dakota is illegal. The state's sole abortion clinic relocated to Minnesota.

Abortion in Oregon is legal at all stages of pregnancy.

Abortion in Tennessee is illegal from fertilization, except to "prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman".

Abortion in Utah is legally performed under a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the state's trigger law, which bans abortion. According to HB136, which is effective state law from June 28, 2022, abortions are banned following 18 weeks of gestation. Abortion was banned following the Supreme Court case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization on June 24, 2022. Utah State Legislation enacted SB 174 in May 2020, which, upon the overturn of Roe v. Wade, made inducing an abortion a second-degree felony. The law includes exceptions for pregnancies "caused by rape or incest," pregnancies that put the mother's life at risk, or "if two doctors say the fetus has a lethal defect." Rape and incest exceptions will only be viable if the crimes were previously reported to law enforcement officials.

Abortion in the U.S. state of Virginia is legal up to the end of the second trimester of a pregnancy. Before the year 1900, abortion remained largely illegal in Virginia, reflecting a widespread trend in many U.S. states during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Abortion was viewed as a criminal act and subject to state laws that prohibited it. However, by 1950, Virginia introduced a legal therapeutic exception, allowing for abortion under specific circumstances, primarily when a woman's physical or mental health was at risk. Notably, the University of Virginia Hospital established a review board in 1950 responsible for evaluating and approving abortion requests, particularly those grounded in psychiatric reasons. This thorough approval process resulted in a significant decrease in the number of abortions performed at the hospital.

Abortion in West Virginia is illegal except in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormalities, and when the mother’s life is at risk from a pregnancy.

Abortion in Wisconsin has been legal since September 18, 2023, and is performed in Madison, Milwaukee and Sheboygan through 22 weeks gestation. However, elective abortions in Wisconsin are under dispute after the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court of the United States on June 24, 2022. Abortion opponents cite an 1849 law that they claim bans the procedure in all cases except when the life of the mother is in danger. However, lower level courts have argued that the law only applies to infanticide and not consensual abortions. The enforceability of the law is disputed and being considered by the state courts. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin announced that they would resume abortion services in Madison and Milwaukee on September 18, 2023. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin later announced that they would resume abortion services in Sheboygan on December 28, 2023.

Abortion in New Mexico is legal at all stages of pregnancy. The number of abortion clinics in New Mexico has declined over the years, with 26 in 1982, 20 in 1992 and 11 in 2014. There were 4,500 legal abortions in 2014. There were 7 facilities providing abortion in New Mexico in 2017, and 6 of those were clinics. In 2017, 91% of New Mexico counties had no clinics that provided abortions, and 48% of New Mexico women lived in those counties.

Abortion in Wyoming is currently legal due to a temporary court injunction.

References

  1. 1 2 Sneve, Joe; Ki, Nicole; Matzen, Morgan; Ellis, Jonathan (2022-06-24). "Abortion is now illegal in South Dakota. Here's what you need to know". Argus Leader. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  2. 1 2 Buell, Samuel (1991-01-01). "Criminal Abortion Revisited". New York University Law Review. 66 (6): 1774–1831. PMID   11652642.
  3. ↑ "South Dakota governor signs extended abortion wait period law". Reuters. March 8, 2013.
  4. ↑ S.D. Makes Abortion Rare Through Laws And Stigma - washingtonpost.com
  5. ↑ HB 1233 establish a task force to study abortion and to
  6. ↑ April 17, 2006 - The Nation
  7. ↑ South Dakota has banned abortion - is your state next? : Indybay
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 McCann, Allison (May 23, 2017). "Seven states have only one remaining abortion clinic. We talked to the people keeping them open". Vice News. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  9. 1 2 3 Tavernise, Sabrina (2019-05-15). "'The Time Is Now': States Are Rushing to Restrict Abortion, or to Protect It". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  10. ↑ "State Policy On Informed Consent for Abortion" (PDF). Guttmacher Policy Review. Fall 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 "State Abortion Counseling Policies and the Fundamental Principles of Informed Consent". Guttmacher Institute. 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  12. ↑ "TRAP Laws Gain Political Traction While Abortion Clinics—and the Women They Serve—Pay the Price". Guttmacher Institute. 2013-06-27. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
  13. 1 2 Panetta, Grace; lee, Samantha (2018-08-04). "This is what could happen if Roe v. Wade fell". Business Insider (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2019-05-24. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  14. 1 2 de Vogue, Arinne (June 24, 2022). "Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade". CNN . Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  15. 1 2 Howe, Amy (June 24, 2022). "Supreme Court overturns constitutional right to abortion". SCOTUSblog . Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Abortion Laws". Findlaw. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  17. ↑ Karanth, Sanjana (2021-09-07). "South Dakota Bans Clinicians From Using Telemedicine To Provide Medication Abortions". HuffPost. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  18. ↑ South Dakota Nixes Abortion Ban; Michigan Voters OK Anti-Affirmative Action Initiative - Politics - Republican Party - Democratic Party - Political Spectrum - F...
  19. ↑ Associated Press (8 November 2006). "South Dakota abortion ban rejected". USA Today. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  20. ↑ "South Dakota Abortion Ban, Initiative 11 (2008)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
  21. ↑ Can the Government Require Doctors to Provide Misleading Information to Patients Seeking Abortions?
  22. 1 2 Arndorfer, Elizabeth; Michael, Jodi; Moskowitz, Laura; Grant, Juli A.; Siebel, Liza (December 1998). A State-By-State Review of Abortion and Reproductive Rights. Diane Publishing. ISBN   9780788174810.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 Henshaw, Stanley K. (2005-06-15). "Abortion Incidence and Services in the United States, 1995-1996". Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 30: 263–270. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  24. ↑ Gould, Rebecca Harrington, Skye. "The number of abortion clinics in the US has plunged in the last decade — here's how many are in each state". Business Insider. Retrieved 2019-05-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ↑ Liptak, Adam (2016-02-29). "Eyes on Kennedy, Women Tell Supreme Court Why Abortion Was Right for Them". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  26. ↑ "Here's Where Women Have Less Access to Planned Parenthood" . Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  27. ↑ Holly Yan (29 May 2019). "These 6 states have only 1 abortion clinic left. Missouri could become the first with zero". CNN. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  28. ↑ Cates, Willard; Rochat, Roger (March 1976). "Illegal Abortions in the United States: 1972–1974". Family Planning Perspectives. 8 (2): 86–92. doi:10.2307/2133995. JSTOR   2133995. PMID   1269687.
  29. ↑ "Abortion Surveillance --- United States, 2000". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Abortion Surveillance --- United States, 2001". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Abortion Surveillance --- United States, 2003". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  32. ↑ "No. of abortions among women aged 15–19, by state of residence, 2013 by racial group". Guttmacher Data Center. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  33. ↑ "Views about abortion by state - Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  34. ↑ "States pushing abortion bans have highest infant mortality rates". NBC News. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  35. ↑ Jatlaoui, Tara C. (2017). "Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2014". MMWR. Surveillance Summaries. 66 (24): 1–48. doi:10.15585/mmwr.ss6624a1. ISSN   1546-0738. PMC   6289084 . PMID   29166366.
  36. ↑ Jatlaoui, Tara C. (2018). "Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2015". MMWR. Surveillance Summaries. 67 (13): 1–45. doi:10.15585/mmwr.ss6713a1. ISSN   1546-0738. PMC   6289084 . PMID   30462632.
  37. ↑ Jatlaoui, Tara C. (2019). "Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2016". MMWR. Surveillance Summaries. 68 (11): 1–41. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.ss6811a1 . ISSN   1546-0738. PMC   6289084 . PMID   31774741.
  38. ↑ Bacon, John. "Abortion rights supporters' voices thunder at #StopTheBans rallies across the nation". USA Today. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  39. ↑ Todd, Annie; Matzen, Morgan; Galvan, Alfonzo (June 29, 2022). "Sioux Falls police say arrests made after abortion rights protests in downtown". Argus Leader. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  40. ↑ Matzen, Morgan (July 8, 2022). "'Our rights have been slowly taken from us': Organizers plan 2 abortion rights protests this weekend in Sioux Falls". Argus Leader. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  41. ↑ Tupper, Seth; Kronaizl, Andrew (July 10, 2022). "Crowds rally for abortion rights in Sioux Falls and Rapid City". South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  42. ↑ Goss, Austin (July 24, 2022). "Pro-choice protestors rally in Pierre to protest state's abortion law". Dakota News Now. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  43. ↑ Sanchez, Olivia (October 9, 2022). "In states where abortion is now outlawed, students ramp up activism". USA Today. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  44. ↑ Timotija, Filip (May 2, 2024). "South Dakota abortion-rights initiative supporters submit enough signatures to make ballot". The Hill. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  45. ↑ "FindLaw's United States Eighth Circuit case and opinions". Findlaw. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
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