Planned Parenthood of Illinois Continues serving Record Numbers Of Out-of-State Abortion Patients Two Years After Supreme Court Overturns Roe V. Wade
 

Largest Out-of-State Patient Volume from Indiana and Wisconsin - Largest Out-of-State Patient Increase from Tennessee and Kentucky to Carbondale Health Center

CHICAGO - Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, allowing individual states to ban or restrict abortion access, PPIL has seen a 47% increase in overall abortion care patients and an unprecedented number of out-of-state patients traveling from 41 different states making up nearly a quarter (25%) of PPIL’s overall abortion patients (before Dobbs it was 3-5%). 

PPIL health centers located near the Illinois border have seen the highest percentage of out-of-state patients with the largest volume of patients traveling from another state coming from Wisconsin and Indiana. However, the largest increase of patients traveling from another state compared to before Dobbs are coming from Tennessee and Kentucky to the PPIL Carbondale Health Center, which opened in December 2023

“We know banning or restricting abortion does not stop the need for abortion care,” said Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of PPIL. “The flood of health care refugees coming to the Carbondale Health Center shows the incredible need for essential sexual and reproductive care such as abortion and gender-affirming care.”

Since Carbondale opened its doors in December 2023, 75% of their overall patients come from another state, 88% of them come from a state with restricted access to abortion or gender-affirming care. The Carbondale Health Center has become a key access point for abortion care as over 90% of its abortion patients have traveled from 16 different states, with the top 7 being Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Indiana, Arkansas, Alabama, and Missouri. 

“I traveled to Illinois for an abortion. I came from a state that does not give me autonomy over my body… Planned Parenthood of Illinois treated me with respect and kindness,” said a PPIL patient. “They were prepared to deal with any situation and I will always be grateful for the respectful and gentle way they handled my situation.”

Additionally, 36% of family planning patients have traveled from 18 states, with half of them seeking gender-affirming care. The Carbondale Health Center sees the highest percentage of out-of-state patients seeking gender-affirming care at 20% compared to 5% in other PPIL health centers. 

PPIL actively prepared for the overturning of Roe v. Wade including opening the Flossmoor Health Center (2018), opening the Waukegan Health Center (2020), moving the Loop Health Center to a larger location (2022), and expanding the abortion care options in Champaign (2022). In addition, PPIL quadrupled its abortion navigators, expanded abortion pills-by-mail program, and launched a program for advance practice nurses to administer abortion procedures.   

Since the Dobbs decision, PPIL has provided over $3.6 million in financial assistance and practical travel support. Before Dobbs PPIL provided around $250 in support per patient, now the average amount is almost $500 spent on a patient in need. PPIL continues to expand its capacity for abortion care as additional states like Indiana, Iowa and Florida enact measures that severely restrict or outright ban abortion.

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Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) provides affordable, high-quality reproductive health care services and medically accurate sexual health education to women, teens and men throughout Illinois. Through medical services, educational programs and advocacy efforts, PPIL works to ensure and protect the reproductive rights of each individual. For more information, visit www.ppil.org.

Media Contact:

Celeste Sanchez

[email protected]

773-923-9906