RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will likely have an impact on abortion clinics.
At Planned Parenthood, Alison Kiser and her South Atlantic team have been preparing.
“We have been extending our hours, expanding our facilities all in an effort to help people get the care that they need,” Kiser said. “We have been preparing for this moment, doing everything from expanding waiting rooms to hiring patient navigators to help people book their appointments.”
Abortion is still legal in North Carolina, but for some other states that won’t be the case.
The Guttmacher Institute said there are currently 13 states that have trigger laws that would immediately ban abortions following the Supreme Court’s decision.
North Carolina is currently not one of those states, but Kiser said that could mean an influx of residents from other states with abortion restrictions.
“We see that folks are being forced to travel hundreds, if not thousands, of miles outside their home states, and that in some cases people are being forced to carry pregnancies to term against their will,” she said. “Unfortunately, that is a very dire consequences and a very real possibility given the court’s decision today and the domino fact that it will have.”
The latest data from the state showed about 30,000 abortions were performed in 2020. Of those abortions performed, almost 5,000 were not North Carolina residents.
Additionally, a Woman’s Choice Inc. said it is also preparing for an increase in patients. President and CEO Kelly Flynn said it could have big impacts on staff, too.
“A lot of people in healthcare have been struggling a lot since covid trying to find people to work so that is one of our biggest challenges having enough staff to be able to accommodate.”
Planned Parenthood said it expects about 26 states to move quickly to ban abortion following SCOTUS’ decision.
As for North Carolina, any further action following Roe v. Wade will likely depend on the outcome of the 2022 election.
