Illinois collects data about who gets abortions but keeps race, ethnicity hidden

Thousands of abortion rights advocates marched and rallied in downtown Chicago on May 14, motivated by a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion that indicated five justices on the court would support overturning the decision in Roe v. Wade, which established a woman’s right to have an abortion. Here, some attending the May 14 event march on State Street in the Loop. (Pat Nabong/Sun-Times)

The Illinois Department of Public Health has long shielded from the public the full picture of who gets an abortion in this state.

The department provides some statistics online, including the county where Illinois patients live, the states where other patients come from, age groups and even whether they’re married. But patients’ race and ethnicity — a key metric that helps illuminate potential disparities, identify trends and plug in gaps in health care — has never been revealed.