Wisconsin has seen major shifts in abortion laws since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, when clinics paused operations for over a year due to legal uncertainty around an 1849 law about abortion. Though a 2023 court ruling allowed clinics to resume care, full clarity didn’t come until July 2025, when the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the 1849 law for good. While abortion is legal in Wisconsin, major barriers stand in the way of care.
Here’s what you need to know and how you can take action to protect and expand abortion rights in Wisconsin.
Reproductive rights and accessibility in Wisconsin
Wisconsin abortion’s status is considered “hostile” by the Center for Reproductive Rights. Elective abortion is allowed up to 20 weeks after fertilization, but even within that timeframe, legal does not mean accessible.
Wisconsin has felt the rippling effects of the Trump Administration’s attacks on reproductive healthcare funding. In October of last year, Wisconsin Planned Parenthood underwent a nearly month-long pause on abortions amid federal Medicaid funding cuts.
On the state level, the two-visit requirements for abortion care, restriction of the use of telehealth and mail delivery for medication abortion care, and Wisconsin’s nearly complete Medicaid ban on coverage are just some of the barriers to abortion care. Legislation, such as the Abortion Rights Restoration Act, has been introduced by Democratic lawmakers to address these challenges, but has stalled in the Republican-controlled Legislature.
RELATED: Wisconsin GOP bill would force women to return aborted tissue to doctors
Shield laws, which allow out-of-state clinicians to mail medication abortion pills to patients in states with abortion restrictions or bans, have expanded access to medication abortion for some Wisconsinites. About one-third of recent abortions in Wisconsin have been provided by telehealth shield law providers. However, medication abortion continues to face new challenges at the federal level.
President Trump recently nominated White House official Dr. Heidi Overton to be the next Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner. Overton has been called a “fierce opponent of abortion rights” and has publicly criticized mifepristone and other abortion drugs. If confirmed by the Senate, Overton would lead the agency responsible for regulating abortion medication, including mifepristone.
What you can do
Sign the petition to protect mifepristone: Tell the US Senate to vote NO on Heidi Overton’s nomination.
- Reproductive Freedom for All has launched an online petition to urge your senators to vote no on her confirmation for FDA Commissioner. Click here to message your senators.
Become a clinic escort volunteer: Volunteer at a reproductive health clinic to help patients safely navigate protesters and get into the clinic.
- Affiliated Medical Services serves Wisconsin residents in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Wausau, Racine, Appleton, Kenosha, and Oshkosh. Click here to learn more about volunteering.
Attend a reproductive rights event: Show up in your community. Attend a rally, town hall, fundraiser, volunteer event, or other gathering hosted by reproductive-rights organizations.
- Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI): PPAWI is creating accessible pathways for community members and groups to get involved locally. If you and a group of fellow community members would like to learn more, email organizing@ppwi.org. They’ll connect you with information, training, and opportunities to get involved in advocacy work. Once you reach out, one of their organizers will follow up with options for ways you and your group can take action in your community! You can also find upcoming events and training here.
Vote: Learn where candidates stand on reproductive rights before you vote.
- Click here for a list Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin endorsed candidates.
- Reproductive Freedom for All is working to elect reproductive freedom champions and hold anti-abortion extremists accountable at the ballot box. View their list of endorsed candidates here.
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