As Planned Parenthood closes four Illinois clinics, chemical abortions could rise

[January 30, 2025]  By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) – Illinois pro-life groups are concerned about Illinois Planned Parenthood abortion clinics closing because they believe medical abortions are riskier and will increase with closures.

The closures came before President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting federal dollars being allocated to Planned Parenthood. David Smith, executive director of Illinois Family Institute, said he suspects the closures of four clinics in Illinois was out of anticipation that the federal government would cut their funding.

“The federal government gives [about] $500 million a year to abortion or reproductive health clinics, and the state of Illinois funds abortions through Medicaid. State funding, taxpayer funding of abortion, which they made right with the passage of Senate Bill 25 a few years ago. So it is heavily funded by tax dollars,” said Smith.

In 2023, Planned Parenthood received approximately $670 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Smith said Planned Parenthood could just be streamlining operations.

"Chemical abortion is growing in America. Now, Planned Parenthood's own reporting agency says 63% of all abortions are done through chemical abortions. Now, chemical abortions can be easily gotten through the mail and the abortion can be self-service at home. I personally think the 63% number is way low. I think it's much higher, maybe 80%, 90% of all abortions are done chemically now. So maybe they don't need the actual clinic for the ‘late-term’ or ‘mid-term, late-term’ abortions that are more surgical.”

Senate Bill 25, also known as the Illinois Reproductive Health Act (IRHA), established a fundamental right to reproductive health in Illinois. The bill was enacted in 2019.

In 2023, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) allocated $50 million in funding to Planned Parenthood of Illinois.

Planned Parenthood announced clinics in Bloomington, Ottawa, Decatur and Englewood on Chicago’s South Side will close.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois President Jennifer Welch during a news conference. - BlueRoomStream

In a statement, the organization said it will expand telehealth appointments as costs for in-person health care are rising.

“Offering medication abortion through the PPDirect app allows patients to connect with us through their phone,” said Dr. Virgil Reid, interim chief medical officer. “This expands access because patients can receive the same great care they associate with Planned Parenthood from the comfort of wherever they are in the state.”

Smith said it's always riskier to have a procedure like abortion done without medical supervision, without people knowing.

"How many of these young women want to quietly deal with this pregnancy crisis and not tell anyone? Even if they are hemorrhaging afterwards, how many of them are going to tell the emergency room attendants, ‘I took an abortion pill?’ Some of them [women] want to keep it quiet.”

Smith explained a scene in a film called Unplanned with Abby Johnson, a Texan who became a pro-life activist.

“She was a Planned Parenthood director, and one of her abortions was a chemical abortion.

And it's kind of graphic, the scene where she's in the shower hemorrhaging ...” said Smith.

Smith anticipates, with the closures, women will seek the risker chemical abortion.

“Patient care is and will always be our number one priority,” said Interim President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois Tonya Tucker.

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