Here's the top 10 states patients travel from to have an abortion in Northern New England
In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England provided abortions to more than 3,000 patients from "every corner of the country," according to Vice President of Public Affairs Lucy Leriche.
On the day Roe was overturned, PPNNE saw the largest one-day spike of traffic to its website it has ever experienced, with increases of 450-600% in sessions, page views and new users compared to the daily average for the first 23 days of June.
Leriche said the number of abortion patients from out-of-state seeking care in PPNNE's clinics in Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire increased by 12.5% after Roe was overturned. One patient from Texas had insurance, but needed a referral from her primary care physician and was afraid she would be turned into the authorities because of the abortion ban in Texas.
"We provided the patient with compassionate and non-judgmental care, and the Laura Fund covered the full cost of the appointment," a news release stated.
Here are the states where patients at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England Clinics are coming from
The top 10 states − in order − providing patients for PPNNE health centers are:
Massachusetts
New York
Texas
Florida
Connecticut
Pennsylvania
Louisiana
Rhode Island
Arkansas
California
Abortion is currently banned in 15 states, according to the Washington Post, including in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, meaning abortion is still legal in most of the states people have come from to receive care at PPNNE clinics. So why travel to Vermont if abortion remains legal in your state?
"People come here for a lot of reasons," Leriche said. "States that are access states that border states that are ban states are going to get a surge of people seeking abortions across the state line, because it's the closest distance. Once those appointments are filled up, patients have to go farther."
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England is expanding access to medication abortions
Some patients from out-of-state have a connection to Vermont, through friends or family, creating a support system, according to Leriche. One woman traveled from a Midwestern state where abortion is banned to a PPNNE health center − even though there were closer states where abortion is still available − because New England felt safer to her, Leriche said. There could be college students here who are from California and seek abortions at PPNNE clinics, she added.
"Abortion has been legal for 50 years," she said. "This upends everyone's lives and creates a country of haves and have-nots. Your ability to access health care depends on your zip code."
More: Gov. Scott signs amendment protecting abortion rights in Vermont
In an effort to meet the increased demand for abortions, more PPNNE clinics are offering medication abortions, including in St. Johnsbury, which is considered to be in a medical desert, with limited access to health care, according to Leriche. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England also has health centers in Burlington, Williston, Barre, Brattleboro, White River Junction and Rutland.
"People with money will always be able to get an abortion," Leriche said. "People of color, low-income people, people in a rural geography will have a much more challenging time."
Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosi@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Planned Parenthood in VT increased patients: Where they travel from
