Report: Illinois Abortionists See Rise in Out-of-State Patients 

Abortionists in Illinois say they are seeing a rise in out-of-state patients from more states than ever before, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois reported seeing dozens of women seeking abortions from other states every month before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24. The pro-abortion organization said the number of out-of-state women coming to Illinois for abortions after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision is in the hundreds every month.

“Almost a third of the agency’s patients are now from out of state, as opposed to about 6 percent prior to the demise of Roe, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed the right to end a pregnancy nationwide,” the report states. “Planned Parenthood of Illinois typically saw patients from 10 to 15 states besides Illinois each month, but that number increased to 31 states after the end of Roe. The number of patients coming from Wisconsin has surged tenfold.”

Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, told the publication the rise in out-of-state abortions show that “abortion bans don’t stop people from having or needing abortions” and instead “make it more difficult” to end the lives of unborn children. Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, said the increase shows how abortion providers and the government of Illinois is “working to draw women here from across the region for abortions.” 

“This is bound to have an impact on people’s reproductive choices. Poor women throughout the Midwest are being told they need abortions in Illinois — not affordable housing, or adequate health care, or better child care options, but just abortion,” Scheidler said. 

Scheidler did say he believes abortion bans in other state have “already saved thousands of unborn children from abortion” despite the uptick in abortion travel.