In response to the recent Supreme Court ruling, below is a list of current restrictions on abortion in West Virginia. The NASW condemns the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.
RESTRICTIONS ON ABORTION
In West Virginia, the following restrictions on abortion were in effect as of June 28, 2022:
- A patient must receive state-directed counseling that includes information designed to discourage the patient from having an abortion, and then wait 24 hours before the procedure is provided.
- The use of telemedicine to administer medication abortion is prohibited.
- The parent of a minor must be notified before an abortion is provided.
- Public funding is available for abortion only in cases of life endangerment, rape, incest, or fetal impairment and when the procedure is necessary to prevent long-lasting damage to the patient's physical health.
- An abortion may be performed at 20 or more weeks postfertilization (22 weeks after the last menstrual period) only in cases of life endangerment or severely compromised health. This law is based on the assertion, which is inconsistent with scientific evidence and has been rejected by the medical community, that a fetus can feel pain at that point in pregnancy.
- The use of a safe, effective and commonly used method of second trimester abortion is prohibited. Abortions using dilation and evacuation are permitted only in cases of life endangerment or severely compromised physical health.