Chicago abortion providers brace for new clients seeking care after Iowa ban takes effect

Abortion providers in Chicago and Illinois are expecting a surge of out-of-state patients after Iowa's six-week abortion ban went into effect Monday.

The state became the fourth in the U.S. to enact a ban on abortions after six weeks, which is before most people know they're pregnant. The Iowa Supreme Court upheld the ban, which was passed last year by the Republican-controlled statehouse.

"This ruling is another devastating blow for the Midwest and heartbreaking for our neighbors in Iowa," said Megan Jeyifo, executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund.

Iowans had already been traveling to Illinois seeking abortions since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022, according to Planned Parenthood of Illinois. Following the high court's ruling, Iowa passed a law requiring a 24-hour waiting period for abortions and parental notification for minors seeking abortions.

Planned Parenthood clinics have been treating triple the amount of patients from Iowa compared with before the Dobbs decision, the organization told the Sun-Times. The majority of patients from Iowa are visiting clinics in Aurora, Peoria, Springfield and Ottawa. And the nonprofit is now anticipating even more Iowans coming to Illinois for care.

Dr. Allison Cowett, medical director for Family Planning Associates, an abortion provider in the West Loop, told the Sun-Times her clinic is expecting more out-of-state patients following the ban in Iowa.

Her clinic, one of the largest providers in the Midwest, had to adapt in the wake of the Dobbs decision. The clinic's staff doubled and its building expanded.

The clinic treated more than 1,200 patients seeking both procedure and medication abortions each month. In the two years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, the out-of-state patient load more than doubled, with most clients coming from elsewhere in the Midwest and the South.

"We are a different organization than before Dobbs. Not in terms of the excellent care we provide, but just in sheer volume of patients," Cowett said. "Every time a ban is enacted somewhere, especially in the Midwest and the South, it affects abortion providers like us in Illinois."

Illinois has built up a robust infrastructure for abortion care, Cowett said, making it easier for her clinic to operate and support out-of-state patients in particular. But the need for care shows no sign of slowing down, she added.

"The state really stepped up in terms of working to provide grants and other resources for providers. We're appreciative of that, and it's helped us stay afloat," Cowett said. But going forward, "we just need more of that. More support locally, from the state. We need everyone to put their heads together and think creatively to meet this need."

In 2023, 370 Iowans traveled to Illinois seeking abortion care, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

The Chicago Abortion Fund received over 60 requests for help from Iowans in the first three weeks of July — before the state ban took effect.

"This marked a 165% increase in support requests from previous months, despite abortion still being legal in Iowa," the organization said in an email. "We anticipate these numbers will continue to grow following the implementation of the six-week ban."