Ohio's abortion wait times drop after pause on 24-hour law
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Preterm Cleveland, the region's largest abortion provider, says its patients are getting care faster since Ohio's 24-hour waiting period was put on hold last year.
Why it matters: The change has been especially significant for out-of-state patients, whose numbers have doubled since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
- 80% of those patients were seen in a single day over the past year, avoiding costly extended stays in Ohio, per Preterm.
What they're saying: "There are so many financial and logistical barriers for patients seeking an abortion," said Bethany Lewis, executive director of Preterm, in a press release.
- "But the barriers increase exponentially the further you must travel for your appointment."
By the numbers: New data from Preterm shows that 57% of patients in the past year have been able to receive counseling and an abortion on the same day.
- That's a dramatic shift from before the preliminary injunction, when state data showed most patients waited a week or more between appointments.
State of play: Under the now-paused law, patients had to wait at least a day after counseling before receiving an abortion.
- But only 6% could get one within 24 hours of their first appointment, according to the Ohio Policy Evaluation Network.
Flashback: Ohioans voted in 2023 for the constitutional amendment that guarantees a right to an abortion.
Yes, but: Republican state lawmakers have nevertheless introduced a bill to "entirely abolish abortion" in Ohio.
- It's yet to make any legislative progress.