It's taking longer to get an abortion in Michigan as women from states with more restrictive policies flock here in the wake of Roe's fall.
Bridge Michigan reports wait times for the procedure have "stretched from days to weeks."
Abortion appointments “are booking out anywhere from three to four weeks,” said Paula Thornton-Greear, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Michigan. A national researcher is seeing similar increases in Michigan.
Before the Supreme Court ruling in June that struck down a federal right to an abortion and led to bans in several states, the 14 Planned Parenthood clinics in Michigan collectively performed about 15 abortions a week for out-of-state patients.
In two recent weeks, that number climbed to 55 out-of-state patients, Greear said.
That’s bumped up the organization’s overall caseload in Michigan from an average of 184 abortions a week to 228, she said.
The delays can worsen the risk of complications, which are more likely in the second trimester. And they can force patients to get a surgical abortion, as those via pill are only available for the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
This week state courts prohibited enforcement of Michigan’s 1931 anti-abortion law. Previously a preliminary injunction prevented the law from going into effect. The state Supreme Court and/or Michigan voters are expected to ultimately decide whether abortion will remain legal here.
