Florida’s Abortion Law Shifts Patient Flow to North Carolina Clinics

Abortion facilities around the state are bracing for an uptick in patients as a six-week abortion restriction takes effect in Florida. North Carolina’s 12-week ban is still more lenient than most southern states.

A Woman’s Choice runs abortion facilities in North Carolina, Florida, and Virginia. Florida will restrict abortions after six weeks of pregnancy beginning next month.

“I predict that we’ll see a much higher increase in patients coming from our Florida location to our North Carolina locations,” said Kelly Flynn, President and CEO of A Woman’s Choice. “Most people don’t know that they’re even pregnant at six weeks.”

Flynn stated that North Carolina facilities are already preparing to see additional patients.

“We are having conversations with our physicians with other physicians who may be willing to come and provide care on days maybe we wouldn’t ordinarily see patients,” she was quoted as saying.

According to Planned Parenthood, Florida performed around one-twelfth of all abortions nationwide last year. Following the six-week restriction, many patients may seek out clinics in other states.

Dr. Erica Pettigrew, a primary care and reproductive health physician in Hillsborough, predicts that some people may use telehealth for medication abortions, while others who can afford to travel would seek out locations where they can lawfully obtain an abortion.

“People do not cease having abortions. “They just find other ways most of the time,” she remarked.

She also stated that Florida’s harsher prohibition would harm citizens in numerous southern states.

“It doesn’t just affect Floridians,” she explained. “Florida, even though it has its own abortion bans and restrictions before the six-week ban, did serve as a place for people in more restrictive states like Alabama or Georgia or Mississippi to go down to Florida and get their care, and now they’re going to be unable to do that.”

The next closest state that allows abortions after six weeks of pregnancy is North Carolina. Jenny Black, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, issued a statement saying, in part, “Planned Parenthood health center staff in North Carolina are doing their level best to quickly expand capacity and increase appointment availability.”

Flynn said that A Woman’s Choice can help patients who choose to travel.

“If they wanted to go to North Carolina, we would work closely with them on logistics, we would help pay for their travel,” Flynn added.

If patients are more than 12 weeks pregnant, she said A Woman’s Choice will refer them to a facility in Virginia. That facility launched in reaction to North Carolina’s legislation prohibiting most abortions beyond 12 weeks.