RENO, NEVADA, ESTADOS UNIDOS - 07/05/2022: Una mujer sostiene un cartel en una marcha a favor del derecho a decidir. Los manifestantes se reunieron para expresar su enojo por los documentos de la Corte Suprema que fueron filtrados. (Foto de Ty O'Neil/SOPA Images/LightRocket vía Getty Images)
Since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, dozens of Republican-led states have instituted abortion bans, preventing tens of millions of women from accessing abortion care. In Nevada, however, voters chose to codify the right to have an abortion into state law in 1990, a move that can only be undone by another vote.
This means that if you live in Nevada, you can get an abortion and make your own reproductive healthcare choices.
A reproductive rights advocacy group is also fighting to enshrine abortion rights in the Nevada Constitution, to provide further protection. For now though, let’s take a look at the rights currently afforded to people in Nevada.
The law
Under state law, any person in Nevada who is pregnant can have an abortion in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. After that, abortions may still be performed only if a doctor determines the life or health of the pregnant person is at risk.
In 2019, the state’s then-Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak also signed the Trust Nevada Women Act into law, which decriminalized medication abortions – pills that are taken to end a pregnancy – in addition to removing other barriers to accessing an abortion like criminal penalties.
Additionally, Nevada laws governing abortion don’t just apply to residents of the state. Following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood reported a large influx of patients seeking abortions from other states.
Last summer, Sisolak signed an executive order ensuring more protections for out-of-state patients traveling to Nevada for abortions and for health care providers administering them, a policy that Nevada’s current Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo later signed into law.
Where can I get an abortion?
There are eight abortion clinics in the state that offer in-clinic or surgical abortions, according to nonprofit group the Wild West Access Fund, which gives financial assistance to those in need of an abortion. Seven operate in Las Vegas and one in Reno.
Medication abortions – which can be taken at home and are less expensive than in-clinic, surgical abortions – can be taken up to 11 weeks of pregnancy and can be acquired through a number of in-person and telemedicine providers.
There are also a slate of crisis pregnancy centers— anti-abortion centers in Nevada that are often affiliated with national Christian organizations—that attempt to dissuade people from having abortions.
The Wild West Access Fund may help cover the cost of medication abortion, but notes that the funds they offer will not typically cover the full cost of an abortion. The organization said it prioritizes people further along in pregnancy whose costs are greater and who may be approaching the legally-mandated limit for an appointment.
The group operates Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and has online request forms in English and Spanish available to schedule a phone call and go over any available financial assistance.
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