Presented by PhRMA — The law bans abortion before most women know they are pregnant {beacon} Health Care Health Care The Big Story Iowa abortion ban takes effect A law that bans abortion before most women know they are pregnant took effect in Iowa on Monday. It will have a ripple effect across the...
Jul 29, 2024 - 21:27
Presented by PhRMA — The law bans abortion before most women know they are pregnant
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The Big Story
Iowa abortion ban takes effect
A law that bans abortion before most women know they are pregnant took effect in Iowa on Monday. It will have a ripple effect across the Midwest, as people seeking abortions will need to travel greater distances and wait longer to obtain care.
The law bans abortions after fetal “cardiac activity” can be detected — electrical activity that’s usually spotted by an ultrasound after about six weeks, which is before many women know they are pregnant.
Illinois and Minnesota are the closest states to Iowa that allow abortion, though some women may be able to go to Nebraska, which bans abortion after 12 weeks.
Democratic-led states that protect abortion have seen a surge in traffic since Roe v. Wade fell, but travel is a significant barrier for low-income women, who may wind up carrying their pregnancy to term regardless of complications.
For example, the Chicago Abortion Fund said it has received more than 60 support requests from Iowans in just the first three weeks of July, a 165 percent increase from previous months, despite abortion still being legal in Iowa.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights research group, there were estimated 4,150 abortions in Iowa in 2023. But abortion care was still sparse, and Iowans drove an average of 53 minutes to their nearest clinic even prior to the 6-week ban. Now, people are going to have to go much farther.
Megan Jeyifo, executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, said she expects the full impact won’t be known until about 6 to 8 weeks after the law takes effect.
Iowa abortion clinics said they plan to continue operations to the extent they are legally allowed and will also help women travel out of thestate. Officials from Planned Parenthood North Central States have estimated the number of procedures performed in the state could drop by at least 97 percent once the law is in effect.
Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.
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