A dismemberment abortion—also known as a dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortion—is an abortion in which a person dismembers and extracts the unborn child from the uterus through the use of clamps, grasping forceps, tongs, scissors, or a similar instrument. Some states have passed dismemberment abortion bans. These laws are usually located in a state’s statutes.

Laws vary from state to state and under some state laws the term dismemberment abortion does not include an abortion that uses suction to dismember the body of an unborn child by sucking pieces of the unborn child into a collection container. The term includes a dismemberment abortion that is used to cause the death of an unborn child and in which suction is subsequently used to extract pieces of the unborn child after the unborn child's death.

In Rhode Island, abortion laws are generally supportive of a woman's right to choose, and there are no specific statutes that ban dismemberment abortions, also known as dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortions. Rhode Island law aligns with federal standards established by the U.S. Supreme Court, which protect the right to abortion prior to fetal viability and when necessary to protect the life or health of the mother. The state passed the Reproductive Privacy Act in 2019, which codifies the right to abortion and states that the government shall not restrict an individual's right to have an abortion prior to fetal viability or afterward if necessary to preserve the health or life of the individual. Therefore, as of the knowledge cutoff date, dismemberment abortions are legal in Rhode Island, provided they comply with the broader legal framework governing abortions in the state.