Florida had been a vacation spot for folks within the Deep South to get abortions, however on Could first a six-week abortion ban goes into impact there, making the area probably the most restrictive for the process.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
First to Florida, the place a six-week abortion ban will go into impact on Could 1. That can have repercussions throughout the Deep South, the place many states have already banned or restricted the process. As Rosemary Westwood from member station WWNO studies, the South is about to turn into probably the most restrictive area within the nation for abortion entry.
ROSEMARY WESTWOOD, BYLINE: Florida has lengthy been a key hub for folks in search of abortions within the South. Chasity Wilson is the chief director of the Louisiana Abortion Fund, which helps ladies get to clinics in different states.
CHASITY WILSON: I can truthfully say Florida was a saving grace.
WESTWOOD: Florida is without doubt one of the prime states for abortion entry. Clinics there carried out over 80,000 final yr, based on a state well being company. And plenty of sufferers are from neighboring states, says Wilson.
WILSON: Numerous our folks wished to remain within the South and wished to remain what they thought of near house or not less than a well-recognized place.
WESTWOOD: After Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, Florida turned a vacation spot for folks wanting abortions within the Deep South for the reason that majority of close by states restricted most abortions virtually instantly. Kendra Smith Parks with Deliberate Parenthood Gulf Coast says they’ve helped many individuals from Texas and Louisiana get abortions in states like Florida.
KENDRA SMITH PARKS: We had a affected person in ICE custody who had been trafficked. We had a affected person on the run from their abusive associate. A affected person of very restricted assets survived rape and incest and wanted to finish her being pregnant.
WESTWOOD: And in Mississippi, Michelle Colon helps folks discover authorized abortions. She says everybody who would have traveled to Florida will now burden clinics within the remaining states with broad entry – locations like California and New York.
MICHELLE COLON: It is simply this snowball impact, and all it is doing is that it is being exacerbated by these steady ongoing bans on abortion entry.
WESTWOOD: Colon mentioned Florida’s ban can have one other clear consequence.
COLON: Not everyone can go to Illinois. Not everyone’s going to have the ability to make it to Virginia. It signifies that they may most probably be compelled to turn into a dad or mum, endure a being pregnant and childbirth in opposition to their will.
WESTWOOD: However Florida’s ban is welcome information for opponents of abortion rights within the South. Jameson Taylor helped go Mississippi’s ban.
JAMESON TAYLOR: I do not suppose abortion is an excellent type of well being care that serves ladies. And so, you recognize, if increasingly states in our space are transferring to make abortion unlawful or to limit abortion, I see that as a very good factor.
WESTWOOD: With out Florida, abortions may get dearer for a lot of touring from the South. Already, the price might be into the hundreds. Wilson with the Louisiana Abortion Fund says her group gave away over $1 million final yr to purchasers to cowl clinic charges, plus…
WILSON: Meals, fuel, childcare stipend, bus ticket, aircraft ticket, rental automobile, no matter sensible wants you want.
WESTWOOD: She says even that is not sufficient to assist everybody who calls as a result of their weekly allotment is restricted.
WILSON: Sometimes, as of late, we’re operating out of funds by Wednesday on any given week. Even when we aren’t capable of fund you immediately, I would be damned if we’re not, you recognize, on the telephones, contacting companions, making an attempt to determine what we will do.
WESTWOOD: Folks throughout the Deep South will nonetheless have the choice to get round state bans by ordering abortion tablets on-line. And this November, Florida voters will resolve whether or not so as to add abortion rights to the state Structure. For NPR Information, I am Rosemary Westwood in New Orleans.
Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional data.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This textual content will not be in its ultimate type and could also be up to date or revised sooner or later. Accuracy and availability might range. The authoritative report of NPR’s programming is the audio report.
