The Virginia League Planned Parenthood is trying to gauge how many patients will now head north.
Virginia is now the only southern state that has not imposed additional restrictions on abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, said Paulette McElwain, Chief Executive Officer of Virginia League for Planned Parenthood
“In the midst of this crisis. We are dedicated to meeting the unique needs of our patients and supporting our highly skilled providers and healthcare teams,” McElwain said.
In 2022, only 3 percent of Virginia’s clients came from out of state. By April, 20 percent of the people seeking abortion services were coming from other states. By this week, 30 percent of the people making new appointments at Planned Parenthood were from out of state, McElwain said.
Virginia’s Planned Parenthood anticipating the influx. It has added new staff at its clinics in Richmond, Hampton and Virginia Beach. Some patients seeking other healthcare have been moved to telehealth to accommodate the number of patients coming into the offices. Despite the increase, same day appointments remain available, she said.
Last year, Florida performed more than 85,000 abortions, second only to California. Women from surrounding states had been traveling to Florida, including women in the military who are serving at bases in the south, where abortion is heavily restricted.
“It really depends on how overwhelmed the whole system is. Because this is a huge number of patients being put into our system, which just doesn't have the capacity to see 85,000 patients,” McElwain said.
If they cannot get appointments in southeastern Virginia, they may seek care in northern Virginia and Maryland or Illinois, she said.
