Virginia is becoming a regional access point for abortion care

As more Southern states restrict or ban abortion, Virginia is emerging as a key access provider in the Mid-Atlantic and broader South regions. Recent reporting shows that abortions performed in Virginia increased significantly between 2023 and 2024, with a growing share of patients traveling from other states.

Demand is expected to remain high into 2026 as regional bans persist and Florida’s tightening restrictions reshape travel patterns across the Southeast.

Why it Matters

Virginia allows abortion well into the second trimester, making the state one of the last accessible destinations for people seeking care from states with near-total bans or severe limits. In this way, Virginia is not just protecting access for its own residents — it is carrying part of the regional burden created by neighboring states.

This dynamic has direct consequences for Virginians:

• Clinic capacity is stretched as local providers serve both in-state and out-of-state patients.
• Wait times may increase, especially for patients with limited resources or those seeking later-in-pregnancy care.
• Abortion funds report higher demand, including more requests for transportation, lodging, and financial support.
• Any future restrictions in Virginia would reverberate far beyond its borders, affecting thousands of people across the region who now rely on the state for care.

Background

Virginia saw a marked increase in abortions between 2023 and 2024, rising from roughly 33,400 to nearly 39,000 procedures performed in clinics. Analysts attribute this spike partly to Florida’s newly tightened restrictions and to ongoing bans across much of the South.

The share of out-of-state patients also grew. In 2023, about 15% of abortions performed in Virginia were for patients traveling from elsewhere; by 2024, that figure was closer to 25%, according to reporting from Axios Richmond. Many traveled from states with near-total bans or severe gestational limits, including Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

Local abortion funds — which assist with transportation, logistics, and financial aid — described a “sharp uptick” in requests throughout 2024 and 2025, both from Virginians and from people traveling long distances for care. Providers and support networks say the trend accelerated after Florida’s restrictions took effect.

Because Virginia’s protections are still statutory rather than constitutional, reproductive-rights groups warn that the state’s role as a regional access point is fragile. This puts even more pressure on the proposed constitutional amendment heading into the 2026 Virginia General Assembly.

Resources

Guttmacher Institute - Stability in the Number of Abortions from 2023 to 2024 in US States Without Total Bans, Masks Major Shifts in Access
Virginia Public Radio - Report: As Southern states ban abortion, Virginia sees an increase of out-of-state patients seeking services