At least 66 US clinics have banned abortions, the institute says

At least 66 clinics in 15 states have halted abortions since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Roe v. Wade lifted.

The number of clinics offering abortions in the 15 states fell from 79 before the June 24 decision to 13 on Oct. 2, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that advocates for abortion rights.

All 13 remaining clinics are located in Georgia. The other states do not have providers that offer abortions, although some of their clinics offer treatments other than abortions.

There were more than 800 abortion clinics nationwide as of 2020, the institute said.

“Much more research needs to be done to capture the full extent of the chaos, confusion and damage the US Supreme Court has wreaked on people who need abortions, but the picture that is beginning to emerge should be.” alarming everyone who stands up for reproductive freedom and the right to bodily autonomy,” says Rachel Jones, a Guttmacher researcher.

The new report doesn’t include data on hospitals and doctor’s offices that performed abortions and stopped following the court ruling, but Jones noted that clinics perform the majority of abortions in the US, including procedures and abortion drug dispensing. Recent Guttmacher data shows that just over half of US abortions are performed with medication.

States with no abortion providers are concentrated in the South. In some of these places, many women who want an abortion have to travel so far that the journey is impossible, Jones said.

dr Jeanne Corwin, who performs abortions in Indiana and Ohio, said closing clinics “will cause untold damage to women’s physical, mental and financial health.”

Access is threatened in several states because bans have only been temporarily suspended by court orders. According to the analysis, these include Indiana, Ohio and South Carolina.

“From a medical perspective, and certainly from a business perspective, it’s precarious,” said Dr. Katie McHugh, gynecologist who performs abortions in Indiana. “It’s difficult to keep the doors open and the lights on when you don’t know if you’re going to be a felon tomorrow.”