Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images
Given the possibility that the Supreme Court overturns the legal ruling that protects abortion as a constitutional right, better known as Roe vs. Wade, that would put an end to legal abortion in many states of the United States, various clinics and providers of pregnancy termination services are preparing to face this context.
Whole Woman’s Health, a women’s reproductive rights center that operates abortion clinics in Virginia, Maryland, Minnesota, Indiana and Texas, has seen a wide variation in demand for their services from the almost total ban on abortions in Texas, after the entry into force of SB8 last year, so that the services in the clinic in that city decreased more than 50%. Given this context, Marva Sadler, senior director of clinical services, has an overview of what will happen in the rest of the clinics if the ruling is confirmed.
“Unfortunately, Texas has given us a great perspective of exactly what we will see on a much larger scale,” Sadler told ABC News.
Sadler explains that, starting with SB8 in Texas, his clinics implemented a support program for women who require this service, called Abortion Wayfinder, which consists of transferring them to a state of refuge in cities such as Maryland, Minnesota or Virginia, bringing them closer to other service and financial support organizations. This program helped more than 80 women access abortion services outside of Texas.
According to Sadler, In case Roe vs Wade is eliminated, this program will be rethought, adapted and will justify all its clinics.
“Texas will absolutely be one of the states where abortion will become illegal very soon after and if Roe goes down, so we have to be prepared for what that aftermath atmosphere will look like in our Texas clinics… We will do our best to serve as many patients as possible and in case they If we cannot, we will reevaluate how we can be of help to them”.
For its part, the Planned Parenthood of Illinois organization expects between 20, Y 30,000 more patients, since it is expected that the 26 States bordering Illinois will ban abortion.
Jennifer Welch, President and executive director of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, declared to the same ABC News network, that they anticipated that this would happen, so they had been preparing for years.
“Our preparations include; expand the size of its health centers, open two clinics on the Indiana and Wisconsin borders, launch telehealth services for medical abortions, work with partners and other affiliates to make sure patients can get the care they need here in Illinois,” Welch stated.
On the other hand, Trust Women, which offers services in abortion clinics in Oklahoma City and Wichita, Kansas, as well as Whole Woman’s Health, also saw an increase in patients since September of last year, since SB8 went into effect. in Texas.
According to Zack Gingrich-Gaylord director of communications, Trust Women has worked to increase capacity at its Kansas facility by bringing in more medical staff and increasing its service hours.
“If Roe vs. Wade falls, Kansas will be the supplier nearest legal abortion p now 7,700,000 from people throughout the region… So Kansas’ constitutional protection for abortion is important. Our plans are to remain in our communities. We can adjust the way we do some things, but we will not leave these communities and our clinics will remain open and provide some service in the future.” Gingrich-Gaylord finished.
Read more: Democrats promise to fight “to the death” to defend the right to abortion in USA
The Supreme Court would plan to revoke the right to abortion, according to a first draft
Governor of Colorado signs law to protect the right to abortion