More than three years after the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion regulation to the states, the country remains sharply divided over reproductive rights. The post-Dobbs landscape has ushered in a patchwork of state laws, legal battles, and a noticeable shift in public opinion—while new data and court fights continue to shape access to abortion and related services across America.
A June 2025 Gallup poll found that 43% of Americans now identify as pro-life, a modest but significant 2-point increase from 2024. Meanwhile, those calling themselves pro-choice dropped from 54% to 51%. As reported by The Center Square, this subtle shift has energized pro-life advocates, even as pro-choice supporters remain a majority. The numbers reflect a nation still wrestling with the implications of the Dobbs ruling, and both sides are mobilizing at the state level to either restrict or protect access to abortion.
Nowhere is this struggle more evident than in Missouri, where the debate over abortion rights is heading back to the ballot box. On August 27, 2025, a Cole County judge heard arguments over whether a proposed constitutional amendment banning abortion—with exceptions only for medical emergencies, fatal fetal anomalies, and cases of rape or incest within the first 12 weeks—should go before voters in 2026. According to News Story, the amendment would roll back a citizen-led reproductive rights initiative passed in November 2024, which legalized abortion up until fetal viability and protected other rights such as in-vitro fertilization and contraception.
The proposed amendment, crafted by the Missouri General Assembly, has drawn fire for including unrelated provisions—specifically, a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri argues this violates the state’s single subject rule and misleads voters. Chuck Hatfield, attorney for the plaintiffs, told the court, “You can’t say to the people, ‘Here’s a proposal whether the Chiefs should stay in Kansas City and to ban crypto.’” He contends that combining abortion and gender-affirming care in one measure is a political maneuver designed to win support, rather than a legitimate connection.
Missouri Solicitor General Louis Capozzi, defending the amendment, countered that gender-affirming procedures can affect fertility and thus relate to reproductive health care. “The latest proposed amendment ensures that Missouri children are able to make the choice whether to reproduce when they are adults,” Capozzi argued. The judge did not immediately rule, and further hearings are scheduled for September, including a closely watched showdown between Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office over the legality of medication abortions and procedural abortions in the state.
While the legal wrangling continues, abortion access in Missouri remains precarious. Despite the current law allowing abortion up to fetal viability, only three Planned Parenthood clinics—in Kansas City, Columbia, and St. Louis—have resumed procedural abortions on a limited basis after a series of court-ordered injunctions. Another hearing set for September 10, 2025, may further alter the state’s already tense reproductive health landscape.
Meanwhile, in states with more pro-choice leadership, officials are moving to protect and fund organizations like Planned Parenthood. In Washington, Governor Bob Ferguson pledged in July 2025 to use state funds to cover approximately $11 million in federal Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood that was cut by the Trump administration. As Eowyn Savela, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, told The Center Square, “Reproductive health access is under attack by Donald Trump and his allies in Congress. Their goal is to shut down health centers and eliminate patients’ access to health care, including taking away the decision of patients to see their preferred providers.”
But it’s not just political leaders taking action—pregnancy centers and maternity care organizations are seeing rising demand as well. Care Net of Puget Sound, a Christian nonprofit based in Puyallup, Washington, has experienced a surge in clients. Communications Director Amelia Graham reported that in 2024, Care Net served over 14,500 individuals, a 30% year-over-year increase, and performed nearly 1,500 ultrasounds. “Eighty-nine percent of women who saw their baby on the ultrasound chose life,” Graham said. Through July 2025, the organization had already served over 10,000 individuals and performed more than 1,000 ultrasounds.
Client Services Director Kim Sandberg shared a story that illustrates the emotional crossroads many clients face: “We had a couple come in, and they definitely wanted an abortion. And so, he was sitting in the chair, and she was there on the table, and they were looking at the ultrasound. And she looked at him, and he was crying, and he said, ‘That’s our baby. We’re going to keep this baby.’ And she said the same thing.” Sandberg added that even when women decide not to carry to term, Care Net offers nonjudgmental support and follow-up. “We do care about these girls,” she said.
Care Net also provides post-abortion counseling, which Graham described as crucial. “Sometimes it can be years, or it can be decades after that experience. And we believe that they deserve love and support and care as well,” she explained. “And as a faith-based ministry, we believe that God loves them and cares for them and wants them to experience full and complete healing no matter what decisions they have made in their lives or what experience they’ve had.”
Heartbeat International, a network serving over 3,800 pregnancy help locations worldwide, has also seen increased demand since Dobbs. Andrea Trudden, vice president of communications, said, “We started to see the split between life states and abortion states and pregnancy health organizations stepping up even more because they were already there, but people were asking, ‘Where do we go?’” Trudden emphasized the impact of ultrasounds in shaping decisions, noting, “Upwards of 80% when they see that ultrasound or they hear the heartbeat, stating their outcome is going to be to choose life.”
Yet, the abortion landscape is also changing with the rise of medication abortions. Graham pointed to an April 28, 2025, report from the Ethics in Public Policy Center analyzing 865,727 mifepristone abortions from 2017 to 2023. The study found that 10.93% of women experienced sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days of taking the abortion pill. With 25 states and the District of Columbia now allowing women to receive the abortion pill after telehealth visits, the need for follow-up care and accurate information is more pressing than ever.
In Virginia, Mary’s Shelter, led by executive director Kathleen Wilson, provides long-term housing and support for women and children. “We’ve taken in hundreds and hundreds of women,” Wilson said. “A lot of their stories are so hard to hear. They don’t have a place to live. They don’t have family support. They’re in an abusive relationship. They haven’t been able to find a job, you know, whatever. The stories are always heartbreaking and always difficult to hear, but it’s the same story in the end, in that they want to have their baby.”
As the nation heads into another election cycle, the fight over abortion rights shows no sign of abating. With new ballot measures, legal battles, and shifting public sentiment, the post-Dobbs era remains as complex and contested as ever—leaving millions of Americans watching closely for what comes next.
