Aid for Iowans traveling for abortions tripled, advocates say
Since Iowa's six-week abortion ban took effect, more Iowans are seeking help to access abortions in other states, per the Chicago Abortion Fund.
Why it matters: Iowa's "fetal heartbeat" law is reshaping access to reproductive care, with residents seeking out-of-state options and anti-abortion advocates pushing for further policy measures.
Flashback: The law, which bans most abortions after six weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest and life-threatening pregnancies, went into effect July 29.
By the numbers: Hundreds of Iowans sought help from organizations to travel out of state for abortions from the end of July through January.
147 went to Illinois, 130 to Minnesota, 84 to Nebraska, and seven to Kansas, according to data gathered from regional abortion fund organizations, says Meghan Daniel, a services director at the Chicago Abortion Fund.
In all of 2024, 625 Iowans seeking out-of-state abortions requested help from the organizations. In 2023, that number was 194.
Plus: Since the ban took effect, groups like the Chicago Abortion Fund, the Iowa Abortion Access Fund, the Nebraska Abortion Resources Fund, and Our Justice have provided a total of $250,000 in financial assistance to Iowans seeking abortions.
In 2023, that number was $100,000.
The big picture: National abortion funding has declined, while patients are spending more for out-of-state care, Daniel says. Everything from gas and lodging to child care increases costs for abortions.
Midwest clinics are trying to keep wait times low, despite an influx of people from places like Iowa and even Texas, Daniel says.
Zoom out: In Illinois, anyone may seek an abortion until 24-26 weeks of pregnancy.
Minnesota has no restrictions on when an abortion can be performed.
The other side: Kristi Judkins, executive director of Iowa Right to Life, says she's not surprised by the increase in out-of-state abortions, especially to Illinois, where there are fewer restrictions.
"It just means our work is definitely not finished in education and awareness on where we stand with regard to the sanctity of life," Judkins says.
Iowa Right to Life is supporting several pieces of legislation this year, she says, including requiring signs in medical facilities informing patients about reversing a medication-induced abortion and teaching prenatal and fetal development in schools.
Context: For most of the decade prior to the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling in June 2022, abortions declined nationally, but they increased before that decision.
Recent data shows there were more than 1 million abortions in 2023, a slight uptick from 930,160 in 2020, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
In Iowa, there were 2,771 abortions reported in 2023, a decline from 4,061 in 2022, according to the most recent data from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
Abortions also dropped in the months immediately after the fetal heartbeat law went into effect, IPR reports.
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