In 2013 we collected informed consent materials from the twenty-three states (all states that had produced public materials). Most states require that materials include visual and verbal depictions of the “unborn” at two-week increments. States sometimes additionally specified that information on fetal development must include statements regarding the functionality of certain structures such as the heart, brain, lungs or information such as viability estimates and the ability of a fetus to feel pain.
Click on each state in the table below to see the statements our experts rated as ‘medically inaccurate.’ We have also produced an interactive map of states with informed consent materials.
State facts:
- 37 states have informed consent laws on the books
- But 8 of these leave the content of information up to the judgement of a medical provider
- 29 states mandate that state-authored materials be given to women
- 2 of these states have laws enjoined (Massachusetts and Montana)
- 1 state had not yet produced materials (Indiana)
- 3 states did not make their materials public at the time of our research, but were added to our map after publication of our article (Wisconsin, Mississippi and Kentucky)
- 23 States were included in our research project
State Report Card
Below you will find an overview of ‘medically inaccurate‘ statements in each state’s informed consent to abortion materials, for both the entirety of pregnancy, and for the first trimester. Click on the headers in this chart to sort.
| State | Total Statements | Inaccurate Statements | % of statements that are inaccurate | Statements in 1st Trimester | Incorrect Statements in 1st Trimester | % of statements incorrect in first trimester |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 102 | 15 | 14.71% | 26 | 5 | 19.23% |
| Wisconsin | 130 | 22 | 16.92% | 31 | 9 | 29.03% |
| Alabama | 98 | 17 | 17.35% | 23 | 4 | 17.39% |
| Georgia | 121 | 21 | 17.36% | 28 | 7 | 25.00% |
| West Virginia | 108 | 19 | 17.59% | 17 | 4 | 23.53% |
| Kentucky | 71 | 13 | 18.31% | 23 | 5 | 21.74% |
| Minnesota | 130 | 25 | 19.23% | 33 | 12 | 36.36% |
| South Carolina | 129 | 25 | 19.38% | 45 | 10 | 22.22% |
| Idaho | 167 | 34 | 20.36% | 42 | 14 | 33.33% |
| Mississippi | 68 | 15 | 22.06% | 13 | 6 | 46.15% |
| Virginia | 157 | 35 | 22.29% | 39 | 16 | 41.03% |
| Utah | 69 | 16 | 23.19% | 30 | 10 | 33.33% |
| Louisiana | 127 | 30 | 23.62% | 36 | 10 | 27.78% |
| North Dakota | 127 | 30 | 23.62% | 31 | 9 | 29.03% |
| South Dakota | 127 | 30 | 23.62% | 31 | 9 | 29.03% |
| Nebraska | 101 | 24 | 23.76% | 26 | 11 | 42.31% |
| Arkansas | 96 | 23 | 23.96% | 22 | 9 | 40.91% |
| Pennsylvania | 96 | 23 | 23.96% | 22 | 9 | 40.91% |
| Missouri | 152 | 39 | 25.66% | 38 | 15 | 39.47% |
| Arizona | 100 | 28 | 28.00% | 28 | 12 | 42.86% |
| Ohio | 46 | 13 | 28.26% | 18 | 6 | 33.33% |
| Oklahoma | 131 | 43 | 32.82% | 41 | 19 | 46.34% |
| Texas | 119 | 41 | 34.45% | 39 | 19 | 48.72% |
| Kansas | 106 | 46 | 43.40% | 46 | 22 | 47.83% |
| Michigan | 88 | 39 | 44.32% | 37 | 25 | 67.57% |
| North Carolina | 78 | 36 | 46.15% | 31 | 18 | 58.06% |
Find your State on our Interactive Map
States With Informed Consent Materials
States Without Informed Consent Materials
Only the states in orange have mandated and produced written informed consent to abortion materials. White states have no such materials to evaluate. Please note that Kentucky and Mississippi were not included in our recently published article, but have been evaluated since the research for that article was completed.