Metro East Planned Parenthood extends hours after surge in out-of-state abortion patients

Planned Parenthood’s Metro East clinic is expanding its hours to meet a surge in patients from other states that have banned abortions.

The clinic is adding 10 hours throughout the week to meet the increase in patients coming to southern Illinois from Kentucky, Louisiana and other states that banned abortions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade

It will be open two hours later on Monday through Friday, starting Tuesday.

Wait times have increased from less than a week to two to three weeks, and the clinic is double- and triple-booking patients to meet the demand, said Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri.

“After the decision dropped, and we saw state after state start to further restrict abortion access, our wait times went from pre-decision being two to three days to now post-decision being 2½ to three weeks,” McNicholas said.

Patients are also coming later in their pregnancy, she said.