Illinois abortion providers see demand, wait times rise a month after Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade

This Planned Parenthood clinic in downstate Fairview Heights, Ill., has seen out-of-state demand for abortions rise in the month since the Supreme Court reversed the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationally. Waits there have risen from three to four days previously to now as long as three weeks, said Bonyen Lee-Gilmore, from Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri. It’s one of two clinics that perform abortions in that part of the state. (Provided)

In the past, when someone was seeking an abortion in Illinois, the Midwest Access Coalition might have suggested getting one in the southern part of the state, where hotels are cheaper.

That’s becoming less of an option for the organization, which provides financial, emotional and logistical support for getting an abortion. That’s because of longer waits for appointments, said Alison Dreith, the coalition’s director of strategic partnerships.