Three years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, South Carolina continues to feel the profound consequences of its six-week abortion ban, enacted shortly after the 2022 decision. Advocates say the ban has led to medical delays, forced out-of-state travel, and a growing exodus of healthcare providers.
Multiple women in South Carolina have been denied timely abortion care—even in cases of fetal death or fatal diagnoses—due to restrictive laws. Some were forced to wait in deteriorating health or travel out of state, while others reported lasting emotional trauma. In May, the state Supreme Court upheld the six-week limit, rejecting efforts to shift it to nine.
The state is also experiencing a decline in medical professionals. OB-GYN residency applications dropped by nearly 6%, worsening existing provider shortages. Thirteen percent of South Carolina counties lack maternity care entirely.
Black women have been especially affected, dying at over four times the rate of white women from pregnancy-related causes. Advocates argue the ban deepens systemic inequities and endangers lives rather than protecting them.
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