KUAR | By Tess Vrbin / Arkansas Advocate, Antoinette Grajeda / Arkansas Advocate
A year after abortion effectively ended in Arkansas, more Arkansans than ever are seeking permanent sterilization, and abortion access groups have seen their costs increase.
A renewed focus to implement policies experts say would improve maternal health saw mixed results, and Arkansas’ maternal mortality rate continues to be among the worst in the U.S.
Arkansas was one of several states with a “trigger law” that banned abortion in June 2022 almost immediately following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade.
John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate
Arkansas Pregnancy Resource Center’s office in west Little Rock provides testing and other services for pregnant people. It was one of nearly two dozen facilities that received state funds in 2022 and 2023 directed at entities that help those experiencing an unintended pregnancy give birth.