Abortion Care in Montana

Abortion is Safe and Common

An abortion is a common health intervention that ends a pregnancy. There are two extremely safe and effective methods of abortion care - procedural and medication.

A procedural abortion takes place at a health center, where a qualified healthcare provider uses gentle suction and/or scraping to remove the embryo or fetus. These procedures include aspiration, dilation and evacuation (D&E), and dilation and curettage (D&C).

For a medication abortion (aka using “abortion pills”) a qualified healthcare provider gives you two types of pills to take, mifepristone and misoprostol. In Montana, individuals have the choice to either go to a healthcare center to receive the medication (and take the mifepristone in the clinic) or to receive the pills through the mail and take them in the setting of their choosing.

Abortion is safe. A procedural abortion is one of the safest medical procedures available, with a lower complication rate than a colonoscopy or getting your wisdom teeth removed. The pills used in medication abortion are safer than medicines like Tylenol, penicillin, and Viagra.[1] And, abortion is much safer than childbirth. Research has estimated that the mortality risk of staying pregnant is 35-39 times greater than the mortality risk of having an abortion.[2]

Abortion is Legal in Montana

Montana is one of ten states in which the state’s high court (our MT Supreme Court) has recognized that their state constitution protects abortion rights and access.[3]

In Montana, abortion is legal up to viability. Healthcare providers may have different interpretations of “viability” and an exam may be necessary to determine whether the fetus is “viable”, but it is generally estimated to be around 22-24 weeks.

In Montana, it is legal:

• To receive a procedural abortion until viability

• To use medication abortion pills which are typically provided through the first 11 weeks of pregnancy

• For non-Montana residents to travel into Montana to receive abortion services

• For Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), Physician Assistants (PAs), and Medical Doctors (MDs) to provide abortion care.[4]

Abortion is Available in Montana

Both procedural and medication abortion care are available in Montana from two independent clinics - All Families Healthcare in Whitefish and Blue Mountain Clinic in Missoula - and at four Planned Parenthood clinics located in Billings, Great Falls, Helena, and Missoula. Some private practices and hospitals may also provide abortion care throughout Montana.

In Montana, procedural abortion is available up to 21 weeks and 6 days (about 5 months) and medication abortions are available up to 11 weeks (almost 3 months) into pregnancy. Individuals are also able to receive medication abortion by mail in Montana.[4]

Abortion is Not Yet Accessible to Everyone

Despite the legality and availability of abortion care in Montana, far too many individuals still face barriers which make it difficult or impossible for them to access abortion care. Researchers have found the following barriers for Montanans seeking abortion care:

• Lengthy distance to care

• Lack of transportation

• Stigma and/or concerns of maintaining privacy

• Absence of providers

• Cost and lack of health insurance

Rural residents, people of color, and low-income communities are more likely to face these barriers, and generally have more limited access to specialty healthcare services.[5] [6] Researchers have also found the presence of fake clinics, sometimes known as crisis pregnancy centers, can result in individuals receiving misinformation that compounds barriers such as stigma, and which can lead to delays in pregnant people receiving abortion or maternal care. (See our fact sheet on CPCs for more information).

CITATIONS

[1] What facts about abortion do I need to know? (n.d.). Planned Parenthood. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/ considering-abortion/what-facts-about-abortion-do-i-need-know [2] Stevenson, A. J., Raymond, E., & Grossman, D. (2023). COMPARING MORTALITY RISK OF INDUCED ABORTION WITH MORTALITY RISK OF STAYING PREGNANT. Contraception, 127, 110150. [3] Center for Reproductive Rights. (2023, December 21). State Constitutions and Abortion Rights - Center for Reproductive Rights. https://reproductiverights.org/state-constitutions-abortionrights/ [4] Frequently asked questions | Montana Abortion Access Program. (n.d.). https://mtabortion.org/frequently-asked-questions/ [5] Liddell, J. L. Griffith, D., Doria, C., Buscaglia, A., & Carlson, T. (Under Review). “I’m not able to give a child a good life”: Reasons for wanting an abortion among abortion fund applicants in the Rocky Mountain West. Sexuality Research and Social Policy. [6] Liddell, J. L., Buscaglia, A., Doria, C. M., Weekley, A., & Mascarena, L. (2024). “I Need Help With the Abortion, so I Won’t Have to Ever See or Hear From Him Again”: Relationship Barriers Faced by Abortion Fund Applicants in the Rocky Mountain West. Violence against women, 10778012241236671.