Independent abortion clinics are 'disappearing from communities' after the end of Roe v. Wade

Christine Fernando, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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Twice as many independent abortion clinics have closed so far in 2022 compared to the year before as facilities shuttered in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision this year to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to an association for independent abortion care providers.

As of November, 42 independent abortion clinics closed or were forced to stop providing abortion care in 2022 — more than double the 20 closures in 2021, according to a Tuesday report by the Abortion Care Network.

Independent abortion care providers, also called "indies," are community-based reproductive health clinics not affiliated with a national organization like Planned Parenthood, said ACN Deputy Director Erin Grant.

While indies represent about 24% of all facilities offering abortion care nationwide, they provide 55% of all abortion procedures, according to the report.

"Over the last decade, abortion clinics have been closing at an alarming rate," Grant said. "There's no form of health care that should be impacted this deeply and be disappearing from communities at this rate. It's just not acceptable."

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How quickly are 'indies' closing and why?

When taking openings of new clinics into consideration, the number of brick-and-mortar independent clinics has dropped by 35% since 2012, from 510 in 2012 to 333 in 2022, according to the report.

While there are several reasons for the closures, the report says "overturning of Roe v. Wade was the clearest and most immediate."

Plus, "Indies lack the institutional support, visibility, name recognition, or fundraising capacity of national health centers and hospitals, making it especially difficult for them to secure the resources needed to keep their doors open," according to the report.

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End of indies means loss of 'comprehensive reproductive health care'

The report detailed multiple reasons highlighting the importance of "indies," including:

  • Independent providers "operate the majority of abortion clinics in the states that are most politically hostile to abortion access." Before the Roe v. Wade was overturned, 119 indies were located in states the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that supports abortion rights, classified as "politically hostile to abortion access," while 88 Planned Parenthood locations were located in these states. After the Supreme Court decision, 80 indies were located in these states compared to 55 Planned Parenthood locations, as of Nov. 1 analysis.

  • Indies also often provide broader sexual and reproductive health services to "patients with the fewest resources," the report said.

  • After Roe was struck down, indies now make up 62% of U.S. clinics that provide abortions after the first trimester of pregnancy. Most abortions happen in the first trimester. But as more states severely restrict abortion, Grant said more patients will likely be pushed later into pregnancy while facing longer travel and wait times, making providers that offer care after the first trimester even more vital for abortion access.

  • About 80% of indies also offer medication abortions, which advocates say will be especially key to abortion access in a post-Roe world. In comparison, Planned Parenthood offers medication abortion care in addition to in-clinic care at only 43% of its clinics, according to the report.

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How are indies adapting?

Many independent providers in states where abortion is banned have shifted to providing other reproductive health services such as miscarriage management, post-abortion care visits, birth control and STI-related health care, according to the report. Others have closed and reopened in states without abortion bans.

Contact Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abortion clinic closures: 42 independent clinics close in 2022