Illinois

30 Aug

Abortion access could be in jeopardy as Chicago Abortion Fund, others run short of mone

MollyLatest News, United States, , , , , , , , , ,
"Abortion took center stage during the Democratic National Convention, and Illinois was celebrated for welcoming thousands of women needing care since access has vanished across much of the Midwest and the South. But funds that are essential for many traveling to Illinois and other states for abortions — paying for their flights, hotels, child care and the abortions — are running out of money. Providers and advocates say that’s putting access to reproductive medical care in jeopardy...."
Read More
08 Aug

Illinois further expands reproductive health care protections

PatLatest News, ,
Gov. JB Pritzker signed multiple bills expanding reproductive rights in Illinois on Wednesday, including codifying a federal law that allows medical professionals to perform an abortion in response to a clinical emergency. Another bill bolsters Illinois’ interstate shield law that prohibits Illinois authorities from disclosing information, or using resources, to abet any interstate investigation into someone receiving abortion services within Illinois. The final bill signed prohibits discrimination against people for their reproductive health decisions, including abortion, in vitro fertilization and fertility treatment.
Read More
16 Dec

Illinois Law Targeting ‘Deceptive’ Anti-Abortion Ministries Officially Scrapped

MollyUnited States, , , , ,
"So-called pregnancy crisis centers are now free to use any means to reach potential clients in Illinois without threat of running afoul of a state law designed to rein in their messaging. Illinois’ new law banning “deceptive” practices by anti-abortion ministries, passed in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, is scrapped before ever materially taking effect...."
Read More
17 Oct

‘We can win this battle:’ Evanston residents, politicians rally for abortion rights

AnnetteUnited States, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Poet and dancer Sunshine Lombré shared a spoken word piece about reproductive rights and sexual violence to a crowd of listeners dressed in pink at Evanston’s Pro-Choice Rally and March on Sunday. Lombré emphasized that most cases of sexual assault go unreported, which contributes to minimized statistics about abortions as a result of sexual violence.
Read More
14 Sep

Abortion Bans Fuel a Rise in High-Risk Patients Heading to Illinois Hospitals

MollyUnited States, , , , , , ,
"When she was around 22 weeks pregnant, the patient found out that the son she was carrying didn’t have kidneys and his lungs wouldn’t develop. If he survived the birth, he would struggle to breathe and die within hours. The patient had a crushing decision to make: continue the pregnancy — which could be a risk to her health and her ability to have children in the future — or have an abortion. “I don’t think I stopped crying for an entire two weeks,” she said. “The whole world felt heavy. … It’s not something anybody should have to go…
Read More
07 Sep

New state abortion numbers show increases in some surprising places

MollyUnited States, , , , ,
"People seeking an abortion are "highly motivated" to travel if they can't get abortions where they live. That's one conclusion from a study from the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy group that supports reproductive rights. Another striking finding: In Illinois, there were 18,300 more abortions in the first half of this year compared to 2020. "If you're interested in where people are going, then I think the numbers tell a big part of that story because it represents a lot of people traveling," says Isaac Maddow-Zimet, a data scientist at the Guttmacher Institute. Illinois already provided a lot of abortions in…
Read More
16 Aug

Illinois Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Setting Fire to Reproductive Health Services Facility

SaintUnited States, , , , , , , ,
"An Illinois man was sentenced on August 15 for the arson of the Planned Parenthood Peoria Health Center in Peoria, Illinois. "An Illinois man was sentenced on August 15 for the arson of the Planned Parenthood Peoria Health Center in Peoria, Illinois. Tyler W. Massengill, 33, was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $1.45 million in restitution. He previously pleaded guilty on Feb. 16 to malicious use of fire and an explosive to damage, and attempt to damage, the Peoria Health Center. According to court documents and statements…
Read More
29 Jul

GOP megadonor pours millions into effort to hinder Ohio abortion amendment

MollyUnited States, , , , , ,
"New campaign finance records show Illinois Republican megadonor Richard Uihlein is funding the bulk of the campaign aimed at thwarting a constitutional amendment on abortion in Ohio.  Ohio is likely the only state this year to have a measure on the ballot to enshrine abortion access into the state constitution, setting up a test case for how the issue may drive voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election. A USA TODAY Network/Suffolk University poll released this week found 58% of Ohioans support a constitutional amendment...."
Read More
27 Jul

Maternal Deaths Are Expected to Rise Under Abortion Bans, but the Increase May Be Hard to Measure

MollyUnited States, , , , , , , , ,
"Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, doctors have warned that limiting abortion care will make pregnancy more dangerous in a country that already has the highest maternal mortality rate among industrialized nations. The case of Mylissa Farmer, a Missouri woman, is one example. Last August, her water broke less than 18 weeks into her pregnancy, when her fetus was not viable. She was at risk for developing a life-threatening infection if she continued the pregnancy. Yet during three separate visits to emergency rooms, she was denied abortion care because her fetus still had a heartbeat. Doctors specifically cited the state’s…
Read More
27 Jul

Emergency contraception could have a home on every campus in Illinois

MollyUnited States, , , , , , ,
"Public university students across the state could soon have expanded access to emergency contraception on campus, if a new bill passes through the General Assembly. State Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, is the chief sponsor of a bill mandating that all Illinois public universities have a vending machine that dispenses emergency contraception on campus, in a place that is accessible after hours and on the weekends. HB4247 aims to ease the stress of students who need emergency contraception when the student health center or pharmacies may not be accessible. Kelly Cleland, executive director of the American Society for Emergency Contraception, testified in support…
Read More
14 Jun

Illinois continues to enact abortion protections a year after Roe v. Wade reversal

MollyUnited States, , , , ,
"Reproductive rights advocates look to Illinois as a Midwestern safe haven for abortion access, while opponents of abortion say the state has gone to extreme lengths to make it the “abortion capital” of the country. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, the abortion battle in Illinois rages on — despite the state previously enacting some of the strongest abortion protections in the country. Since June 2022, Democratic state lawmakers have passed a slew of bills ramping up protections for out-of-state patients and expanding overall access. But a small coalition of GOP legislators has been working…
Read More
25 May

Volunteer pilots fly patients seeking abortion and gender-affirming care across state lines

MollyLatest News, United States, , , , , , ,
"Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, states have moved to restrict or ban abortion access. Groups and organizations have also popped up in that time to transport people seeking abortion access to states where it’s still legal in their given circumstance. There is a growing group of volunteer private pilots flying people across state lines for abortion access and gender-affirming care. Illinois-based Elevated Access currently has more than 1,500 pilots registered with the organization..."
Read More
No widgets found. Go to Widget page and add the widget in Offcanvas Sidebar Widget Area.