by Sharelle Burt
December 8, 2023
Illinois has seen the very best variety of out-of-state sufferers who dwell in bordering states with strict bans.
For the reason that Supreme Court docket reversed the Roe v. Wade ruling in 2022, the variety of individuals touring out of state for abortions has doubled, Information Nation stories. The Guttmacher Institute discovered near 1 in 5 abortion sufferers traveled out of state throughout Q1 and Q2 of 2023 compared to 1 in 10 throughout the identical time in 2020. States that noticed the most important will increase in out-of-state sufferers embody Illinois, New Mexico, Colorado, Florida, and Ohio — a few of which have handed stricter abortion legal guidelines or have had them banned.
Some states have made heavy exceptions, akin to when the well-being of the mom is jeopardized and for victims of rape, activists proceed to advocate to clear up the loopholes that sufferers face as hospitals are apprehensive about shifting ahead with procedures. Colorado and New Mexico permit abortions with no restrictions primarily based on gestational age. Ohio requires counseling earlier than an individual is allowed to abort, as much as 22 weeks.
Based on ABC Information, Illinois has seen the most important enhance in sufferers touring from different states. The state permits abortion as much as the purpose of fetal viability, usually seen round 23 weeks of being pregnant. It’s surrounded by Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri, the place abortion is banned.
“Illinois is bordered by three states that ban abortion in addition to the restrictive states of Iowa and Wisconsin — in 2020, 21% of the abortions that occurred in Illinois had been to individuals coming from out of state; this elevated to 42% within the first six months of 2023,” Guttmacher Principal Analysis Scientist Rachel Jones stated.
The information additionally confirmed the affect of bans going into impact, like in South Carolina. Within the formal healthcare system, the variety of abortions went down 79% — going from 750 in August 2023 to 160 — only one month after the state enforced a ban after six weeks gestation.
Abortion has been the subject of dialog and a robust bullet level throughout the 2024 presidential campaigns. Republican candidates, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, have mentioned being open to compromise on the difficulty. In distinction, different Republican leaders proceed to push for a ban on a nationwide degree.
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