What the Swiss living in the US think of abortion restrictions

A young woman holds a placard during a demonstration in support of abortion rights in the United States. Keystone / CLEMENS BILAN

Since 2022, many American states have tightened their policies on reproductive rights. Several Swiss nationals living in the United States responded to a call for testimonials from SWI swissinfo.ch. While most of them view these changes in a negative light, even to the point of considering returning to Switzerland, a small number support the restrictions.

In June 2022, the highest US judicial authority, the Supreme Court, overturned the Roe vs Wade ruling, which had guaranteed the right to abortion at federal level since 1973. Following this decision, each state has been able to set its own policy on reproductive rights.

Many conservative states tightened their legislation as soon as the Supreme Court decision was handed down. Some of them even had texts that were ready to go into effect as soon as the context allowed.

The 83,700-strong Swiss diaspora in the US is the third-largest community of Swiss Abroad in the world (after France and Germany), according to figures published in 2024External link by the Federal Statistical Office. They have witnessed these developments first-hand.

Earlier this year, we put out a call via various platforms to Swiss nationals living in the US, asking them how they felt about the evolution of abortion policies in their country of residence.

We received close to 100 comments and emails. The vast majority of those who came forward wished to remain anonymous. “Because I still live here,” says Deborah S. from Florida, by way of explanation. “I don’t want to expose myself to an outpouring of hate,” writes Carolina B., who lives in Arizona.

Taking responsibility for one’s actions

Most of those who responded do not like the conservative turn taken by several states. This is not surprising, given that the diaspora is generally on the progressive side of the political spectrum.

A number of respondents, however, expressed support for the more restrictive abortion policies.

This is the case of Markus G., who emigrated with his Swiss wife to Florida in 2014. The father of three grown children (aged between 20 and 25) is very clear on the issue of abortion: “I’ve never discussed the subject with my daughter, but my wife and I are OK with Florida’s restrictive policy.”

Following the overturning of the Roe vs Wade ruling, the south-eastern US state tightened its policy on voluntary termination of pregnancy, banning it after six weeks of pregnancy, compared with 15 weeks previously. Exceptions are made in cases of serious risk to the mother or the foetus, and in the first 15 weeks of pregnancy in cases of rape or incest.

Carolina B. lives in Arizona. In April 2024, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the state could enforce an 1864 law prohibiting all abortions, except when the mother’s life is in danger. After much uproar, the law was repealed by the Arizona Senate one month later. Abortion is now legal in Arizona until the foetus is viable, which is around 24 weeks, compared with 15 weeks previously.

The 57-year-old Swiss woman describes herself as old-school. She has made it clear to her daughters that they cannot have an abortion if they become pregnant, “except in the case of a medical problem or rape, of course”. She believes that everyone should be accountable for their actions and that “a woman’s choice over her body starts when she has sex and becomes pregnant” – in reference to the “my body, my choice” slogan.

This is why Carolina B. has no problem with each state deciding its own policy on the matter.

A question of money too

A woman who wishes to terminate a pregnancy but is living in a state where abortion is prohibited or severely restricted may consider travelling to a neighbouring state where it is legal.

However, this entails costs that not everyone can afford. And “it is above all the economically disadvantaged who find that an unplanned pregnancy can sabotage their studies, job or an already precarious budget”, says Philipp N., from Texas.

Moreover, some states do not hesitate to take legal action against women who undergo abortions in other states, or against those who perform them.

In recent months, several states that are progressive on the issue of abortion have strengthened the legal protection of patients and medical personnel against lawsuits from other states. They include Pennsylvania, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois and New Mexico.

‘Brain drain’ of specialists

By exposing health professionals specialising in gynaecology to heavy criminal penalties, some states are prompting them to leave, thereby jeopardising women’s health and their access to specific care.

According to Philipp N., the laws currently in place in Texas mean that health workers are hesitant to use procedures typically linked to pregnancy. The state prohibits all abortions, with no exception for cases of rape or incest. It is permitted only if the health or life of the mother is at risk.

Before treating a patient suffering from pregnancy-related complications, medical staff will therefore consult their hospital’s legal department, sometimes at the risk of the patient’s lifeExternal link.

“A woman who wants to start a family should plan to move to a more liberal state to be sure to have access to modern care in the event of complications,” Philipp N. writes.

Move to a different state or go back to Switzerland

Some Swiss Abroad who responded to our call for testimonials are so disturbed by the societal changes in the state where they live, or in the US as a whole, that they do not rule out the possibility of moving – even if their actual state of residence does guarantee abortion rights.

Andrea T. has lived in California since 2008. She wants to “maintain a certain consistency with her ethical and moral sense”, and staying in the United States would not “reaffirm [her] deep convictions about human rights”. She has therefore decided to return to Geneva, where she is originally from.

Tanja D. is married and has one daughter. The family has called the liberal state of Pennsylvania home since 2019. However, “should the situation get to a point where basic human rights, especially women’s rights, are being challenged more than today, we would surely leave the country and look for job opportunities within my company outside the US.”

Other Swiss Abroad are considering it, but it is not an easy step to take when you have built your whole life in one place. “I’ve thought about returning to Switzerland,” writes Arthur Kull from Idaho, a state that is very restrictive on abortion, “but all our friends are here, and since I am very involved in local organisations, it is a very difficult decision to make.”

As for André C., he regrets that – because of the abortion policy in Texas – his daughter, who has moved to California for her studies, is unlikely to come to back to work and live near him.

Edited by Pauline Turuban. Adapted from French by Julia Bassam/gw.