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More out-of-state women seek abortions in CT since the Dobbs decision

Dr. Nancy Stanwood, chief medical officer with Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, right, teaches an advanced practice registered nurse how to perform an aspiration abortion by practicing on a ripe papaya.
Planned Parenthood
Dr. Nancy Stanwood, chief medical officer with Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, right, teaches an advanced practice registered nurse how to perform an aspiration abortion by practicing on a ripe papaya.

Connecticut has had about a 150% increase in the number of out-of-state women seeking abortion services since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade, according to abortion providers.

Dr. Nancy Stanwood with Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, the state’s largest provider of women’s reproductive services, said the increase is not quite the surge that had been anticipated.

“Of the people that we provide abortions for in Connecticut, those people coming from out-of-state makeup about 1%,” she said.

Connecticut laws passed in the wake of the Dobbs decision have helped expand access for in-state women – because midwives, nurse practitioners and physician assistants can now be trained to perform abortions.

“We have trained some of the clinicians that work at Planned Parenthood. And that has allowed us to ensure that we have continued expansion of access to abortion services to the people of Connecticut,” Stanwood said.

Stanwood spoke during a roundtable on threats to reproductive healthcare hosted by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT).

His efforts to pass several reproductive rights bills in Washington have been blocked by Senate Republicans.

As WSHU Public Radio’s award-winning senior political reporter, Ebong Udoma draws on his extensive tenure to delve deep into state politics during a major election year.