Washington Planned Parenthood sites see increase in out-of-state visitors

Washington State Planned Parenthood locations have seen an overall uptick in abortion patients, particularly those from out of state, in the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

According to a report commissioned by six U.S. senators, including Maria Cantwell, total abortion patients from out-of-state are up 36% in the first five months of this year compared to last year, while total abortion patients from Idaho are up 56% in the same time period.

Overall, Planned Parenthood reported an 18% increase in abortion patients in Washington from January to May compared to the same period last year.

“The devastating results of overturning Roe v. Wade are clear,” Cantwell said in a news release. “A year after Dobbs, abortion bans or restrictions across half the states have stripped full reproductive choice from 25 million women, and many anti-choice activists are pushing for a nationwide abortion ban.”

Since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision last June, Cantwell has introduced several bills to protect women’s access to reproductive healthcare.

Following the Dobbs decision, a group of pro-choice demonstrators gathered in Wenatchee’s Memorial Park to protest the decision.

On Saturday a group of demonstrators, sponsored by Wenatchee Right to Life, gathered near the Chelan County courthouse in an annual event to support the anti-abortion movement.