“Overall, we saw about 2,500% increase in the number of patients who came [Oklahoma’s] health centers from Texas, ”said Emily Wales, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which serves Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Oklahoma has only four abortion centers. Since September, when the Texas ban was passed, these centers have seen several thousand more people outside the state. This has resulted in longer waiting times for patients seeking abortions, longer hours for doctors to meet demand and increased staffing to ensure coverage. “You can’t really be prepared,” Wells said, as the need for abortion care in Oklahoma skyrocketed overnight after Texas law came into force. To meet this demand, Oklahoma has allowed fly-in doctors or providers from other states who have come to provide care to people flooded from Texas. But Oklahoma abortion providers not only faced a huge increase in the number of patients, but also struggled with the unique emotional burdens that accompanied them. “So many patients came with very high emotional needs,” Wells said. “It’s already very difficult because of state restrictions, but you add to that, possibly, an overnight trip, finding a place to keep your children while seeking care in another state, and you just feel like your actions are being criminalized in your state. That was a level of strong support that our team really struggled to meet. “ Anticipating the consequences of her state restrictions, Wales said it leaves even fewer options for a safe abortion in this part of the country. “When you exclude another state that has been a huge service provider to the region, the system will break down. It does not matter if that happens, it’s just when,” Wales said. He said Planned Parenthood plans to try to block the measure in court before it takes effect. “The fact that the same nightmare we used to have – with our patients from Texas – will now happen in Oklahoma is heartbreaking for us as a provider,” Wells said. People in Oklahoma may need to travel to Kansas, New Mexico or Colorado to have abortions. “Prohibitions do not eliminate the need for abortion care, they just make it much less safe,” he said.
Crossing state lines
Oklahoma abortion providers are not alone. Several states across the country have become potential safety nets for abortion care as their neighbors move to restrict access.
For several months before Idaho Republican Gov. Brad Little signed his state version of Texas’ famous abortion restriction law, abortion providers just across the state lines in Washington and Oregon were ready.
“We are watching and watching [this bill] for the past six months, just as Texas passed and we began to understand how many states were going to line up to do the same thing, “said Anne Udall, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, which oversees seven Oregon clinics. . and Southwest Washington.
Idaho Senate Act 1309 was due to take effect April 22 before being temporarily suspended by the state Supreme Court. The measure will allow members of a fetus’ family to sue any health care worker who helps with abortion after detecting fetal heart activity, which is generally about six weeks pregnant.
“We knew this was coming … We were preparing for it, and we continue to prepare for it, because it will affect Oregon,” Udall said.
Although the Idaho Supreme Court ruling temporarily suspended its legislation that could restrict access to abortion, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling expected in June that could overturn Roe v. Wade’s landmark ruling has abortion providers in neighboring states still preparing for an influx of patients.
“There has been a 60% reduction in abortions in Texas since the law was passed in September, and I’m sure that will happen in Idaho,” said Dr. Mark Nichols, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Oregon Health. and University of Sciences.
“Because Idaho’s largest population is in Boise, they are likely to cross the Oregon border and seek abortion care in Oregon,” which has one of the least restrictive abortion laws in the country. As of 2019, the final year for According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9% of abortions provided in Oregon were residing outside the state. That number could rise significantly if the Idaho abortion law is passed.
According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, almost 70% of abortions are performed there after six weeks. That equates to more than 1,000 people a year who will no longer have access to abortion in Idaho.
The easternmost abortion clinic in Oregon is located in Bend, about 300 miles from Boise – how far most people would have to travel to have an abortion if the Idaho bill went into effect.
During the preparation, Planned Parenthood ensures that all its clinics are fully staffed. In states such as Oregon and Washington, non-physician health care providers, such as nurses and midwives, can perform abortions, which helps support the provider base to meet growing needs.
Idaho law would affect access to abortion not only for Idaho residents but also for Oregon residents.
According to Dr. Erin Berry, Washington Medical Director and Director of Clinical Research at Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Kentucky, the nearest abortion clinic for people in eastern Oregon, is in Idaho. Idaho also serves people from Nevada and Montana, said Berry, a medical and abortion provider in Idaho and Washington.
Anticipating the consequences of the Idaho abortion bill, the Oregon State Legislature passed House Bill 5202, which includes $ 15 million for the state Reproductive Shares Fund.
The money “will provide substantial and immediate support to patients, health care providers and community advocates to prepare for the upcoming Idaho six-week abortion ban and an expected Supreme Court ruling that overturns Roe v. Wade.” the Pro-Choice organization. Oregon said in a statement.
The cost of obtaining an out-of-state abortion simply goes beyond the process itself. Things like childcare, work leave, travel and accommodation compose the logistical links that pregnant women have to go through.
According to Udall, this funding will help cover travel and subsistence expenses for abortion seekers in Oregon.
However, the Idaho abortion bill, like many other forms of legislation restricting access to abortion, will disproportionately affect low-income and minority populations.
“When you talk about funding for abortion care, I think the women who need the most abortions the most will be affected: poor women, women of color, who do not necessarily have the opportunity, for example, to travel from Boise. “at the current clinic in Bend, Oregon,” Nichols said.
Pressing waiting times
Oregon’s northern neighbor, Washington, is also likely to see an influx of patients from Idaho. One thing Berry is worried about is the effect it will have on waiting times for abortion care. There is now a wait of one to three weeks in Idaho and a wait of up to two weeks in Washington. “Covid has put a lot of pressure on the healthcare system. There is a shortage of staff across healthcare and this is affecting [abortion] clinics as well. “It is very common for us to have two or even three weeks to make an appointment for an abortion,” he said. These two weeks can be the difference between being able to have a legal abortion in Idaho and being over the limit of pregnancy. Even if people in Idaho decide to have an abortion before the six weeks of pregnancy, they may not be able to make an appointment until it is too late and they will have to go elsewhere.
Postal care
Those seeking out-of-state abortion may choose a surgical abortion or a medical abortion, the most common type of abortion provided. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, most patients at 70 days or ten weeks of gestation are eligible for medical abortion. Drug abortions can now be performed via telegraphy. Patients can take telemedicine and then take a combination of two drugs. Just last year, the US Food and Drug Administration decided to permanently allow these pills to be mailed. However, according to providers in Washington and Oregon, patients will still need to be physically present in these states to receive telemedicine care for abortion. Once they have completed their download, they can return home to pick up and take the postage pills. Not all states have the same policies on telemedicine abortions. In places like Oklahoma, patients always needed a clinician to be physically present when they took the pills. Five states, including Arizona and Texas, are banning telemedicine abortions altogether. For those who choose to undergo surgical abortions, which are a minority of surgeries, patients may be able to receive the care they need in a day. “People from Idaho … could come to an Oregon clinic, be seen by an Oregon licensed provider, receive care, and return home to Idaho. In most cases, that’s all going to happen. in one visit. ” said Nichols. Unlike many other states, Oregon and Washington do not have mandatory waiting periods for abortion.
Looking at Roe
While some states enact laws to restrict abortion, others comply with laws aimed at securing access. Last month, the Democratic governor of Washington, Jay Insley, signed …
