ILLINOIS, USA — Illinois saw its highest number of abortions in 32 years during the same year the Supreme Court overturned the landmark ruling that granted constitutional protections for abortion.
Editor's note: The above video aired during a 2023 broadcast.
Illinois' Department of Public Health reported a total of 56,457 abortions in the state in 2022, the highest total number of abortions recorded in the state since 1992 when 56,552 abortions were provided.
The state also had by far the most out-of-state resident abortions in 2022 at 16,849. That's an increase of 5,542 out-of-state resident abortions provided to patients in Illinois in 2021, a 49% increase.
Abortion bans were implemented in states surrounding Illinois, namely Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.
After Roe v. Wade was overturned, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker vowed to protect and expand abortion rights in the state. The governor has since signed a bill into law allowing advanced practice nurses and physician assistants with proper training to perform abortion services.
“In Illinois, Roe v. Wade is still the law and it will remain the law as long as we have a pro-choice legislature and a pro-choice Governor,” Pritzker said.
Abortion clinics in Illinois have also reported seeing increases in patient calls and walk-ins following the Supreme Court's decision.
"We will probably be close to seeing 10,000 abortion patients this year in the Fairview Heights location. That percentage accounts 700% increase in those folks," Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, previously told 5 On Your Side.
"At Fairview Heights, before the Dobbs decision, folks outside of Illinois was at 7% and now nearly half are from outside Illinois, majority are from Missouri," McNicholas said.
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