CINCINNATI — Officials with an Ohio abortion clinic said they're seeing more Kentuckians travel for the procedure than any other surrounding state.
On Monday, WHAS11 visited the Planned Parenthood location in Cincinnati, seeing cars with license plates from Jefferson, Bullitt and other Kentucky counties.
Nan Whaley, CEO of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio and former Dayton mayor, said the surgical center is "definitely seeing a much bigger increase from Kentucky" since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in 2022.
“Because we sit on this place of an abortion desert – because of Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida – we are having to provide service to a much larger area because of the fall of Roe," Whaley said.
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Whaley told WHAS11 the Cincinnati clinic primarily used to serve people living in Ohio, but now with an influx of patients coming in from out-of-state, it's become more of a 50-50 split. She said Cincinnati is the southern-most city along I-75 providing abortions.
In late 2023, people in Ohio voted in favor of amending the state's constitution to enshrine a right to an abortion, allowing judges in recent weeks to temporarily block a handful of restrictions -- including a provision requiring patients to wait 24 hours before getting the procedure.
Dr. Sharon Liner, the medical director of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio, said these rulings remove barriers for patients who otherwise would have to get extra time off work and secure childcare for multiple days.
"Patients don't have to either travel back or find a place to stay or be provided a hotel to stay," she told WHAS11.
Her team is preparing for the impact shifts in state law could have on demand for services. Whether it increases the number of Kentuckians traveling across state lines, Liner says time will tell.
“We don’t know yet," Liner said. "There’s the possibility that not having to come back or stay the night just to take a medication might shift some people’s desires in that, but we’ll have to wait and see if that changes over time.”
Cincinnati's clinic has served as a regional center for abortion access, surrounded by states where the procedure is largely banned -- including in Kentucky where the only exception is to save the life of the patient.
Kentucky Republicans, who have a supermajority in both chambers of the state legislature, passed laws restricting abortion years ago -- but it wasn't until Roe vs. Wade was struck down that they were 'triggered' and immediately went into effect.
"We are the pro-life party, let's start with that," said Don Fitzpatrick, Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party in Louisville. "At the same time, there are people within our party who have different views on that topic."
Liner admits most days are fairly booked, with the average wait time for an appointment sitting at 15 days as of Sept. 9, but she said they're working to increase staff and make accommodations to get more patients in.
Hadley Duvall, a native of Owensboro and abortions right advocate, met WHAS11 in Cincinnati to discuss the lengths women in her home state are taking for these services.
“They have to deal with so much more than just driving to the doctor’s office. That’s not what it is for them. It is so much more than that – and it should just be driving to the doctor’s office," Duvall told WHAS11.
Reproductive rights is expected to be a top issue for voters at the polls in November, and it’ll likely be discussed in length as both presidential candidates face off in a primetime debate Tuesday night.
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