Mapping Abortion Clinics Across the U.S.
The New York Times has recently published a series of detailed interactive maps and data visualizations, aiming to provide a clear spatial understanding of abortion access across the United States. These visualizations typically distinguish between providers offering medication-only abortions and those providing both medication and procedural abortions, overlaying or aligning this data with state-level abortion laws.
In one such visualization, states that allow abortions are shown as light gray, while states that ban all abortions are depicted in beige. Abortion providers offering both medication and procedural abortions are represented as dark gray dots, and medication-only abortion providers are depicted as orange dots. It is worth noting that the visualization does not indicate the geographical distribution of the providers nor specify the total number of abortion providers in the United States.
Approximately 40% of the providers shown in the visualization offer only medication abortions, while the remaining providers offer both medication and procedural abortions. However, the visualization does not provide information on the number of abortions performed by each provider.
These visualizations are designed to highlight regions with limited access to procedural abortions where medication-only options may predominate. They also include filters or toggles allowing users to explore the availability and geographic concentration of services.
The New York Times' visualizations are particularly relevant in light of the recent Dobbs decision, which has significantly impacted abortion access across the US. If you're interested in learning more about abortion provision trends, you may find the #WeCount report useful. However, it does not describe The New York Times' specific visualization methods.
For those seeking more detailed examples or the latest visuals, The New York Times' dedicated health or abortion access coverage, as well as their interactive graphics sections, are excellent resources.
In the detailed data visualization by The New York Times concerning health-and-wellness, specifically women's health, states allowing medication-only abortions are depicted as orange dots, while those offering both medication and procedural abortions are represented as dark gray dots. Furthermore, this visualization also provides filters or toggles for users to explore the availability and geographic concentration of health services related to science and women's health.
