South Carolina Abortion Ban Upheld

Decision pushes abortion further out of reach for millions of patients across the South

Richmond, Va – Today, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled to uphold the state’s six-week abortion ban. This abortion ban will prevent people from accessing an abortion in South Carolina after six weeks gestation, which is before many people know they’re pregnant. The decision reinforces Virginia’s precarious place as the last Southern State to have fought off extremist attempts to ban abortion. The November 2023 House and Senate elections will decide the future of abortion rights for all those across the South for decades to come. 

Statement from Han Jones, Interim-Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia: 

“As another Southern state faces the chaos and confusion of an abortion ban, today’s court decision further emphasizes Virginia’s place in the fight for abortion access – all eyes are on us. We can see that, as in South Carolina, anti-abortion extremists will stop at nothing until they’ve banned abortion. Make no mistake, there are anti-abortion candidates currently vying for House and Senate seats for the sole purpose of sending an abortion ban to Governor Youngkin’s desk for him to “gleefully” sign. Virginians must elect pro-reproductive rights champions to ensure we don’t see an abortion ban in the Commonwealth and start the process to pass a constitutional amendment protecting reproductive freedom for the future.” 

“Today’s decision puts the dangerous politicization of South Carolina’s highest court on full display and will cause irreparable harm to the people of South Carolina. This abortion ban is nearly identical to the ban struck down by this court just months ago — the only thing that has changed is the makeup of the court”, said Jenny Black, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, in a release. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic’s doors remain open, and we will continue to provide abortion care in South Carolina under the severe restrictions of this law, but we know that’s not enough. This abortion ban takes away people’s ability to control what happens to their bodies, forcing many South Carolinians to remain pregnant against their will. Planned Parenthood and our partners will keep fighting for our patients’ ability to control their own bodies, lives, and futures — no matter what.”

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Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia (PPAV) is a statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to preserve and broaden access to reproductive health care through legislation, public education, electoral activity and litigation in the Commonwealth of Virginia. PPAV works to ensure that individuals and families have the freedom, information, and ability to make their own informed reproductive choices.