With Roe overturned, how far will Kentucky residents have to travel for reproductive care?
The already heavily restricted access to abortion services in Kentucky has come to an end, forcing anyone seeking to terminate pregnancy to travel out of state.
But how far will they have to go?
The nearest clinic to Lexington offering abortions is a Planned Parenthood location in Cincinnati, Ohio.
It’s about 75 miles from Lexington, about 1 hour and 35 minutes by car. Greyhound bus tickets from Lexington to Cincinnati are available for about $30 to $40 each way for a trip about 3 hours and 30 minutes long.
Cincinnati Surgical Center of Cincinnati is located at 2314 Auburn Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45219. The clinic offers medication abortions up to 10 weeks from the start of your last menstrual period, as well as surgical abortions up to 21 weeks and six days.
Appointments are required for both types of abortion, and the procedure is legal in Ohio up to 21 weeks and six days past the start of your last period.
There is a parental notification requirement for minors in Ohio. Planned Parenthood staff can assist you in talking with your parents about abortion or obtaining a judicial bypass.
Patients able to make the trek to Cincinnati will have to make an overnight trip, as Ohio requires a 24-hour waiting period to obtain an abortion. Those seeking an abortion at 16 weeks or later may need to return to the clinic for additional visits.
The next closest option is Women’s Med in Dayton, Ohio. The facility offers medication-based and surgical abortions. It is located at 1401 E. Stroop Road, Dayton, OH 45429. The drive from Lexington is more than 2 hours and 30 minutes.
While abortion currently remains legal in Ohio and Indiana, where the next closest clinics are, the issue is pending court action in Ohio. The state legislature could enact a tabled law banning abortion past six weeks with few medical exceptions.
Future access to reproductive health care is also in question in Indiana, as legislators plan to discuss abortion at a special session starting July 6. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said he does not support abortion rights and the state would address the issue quickly.
The nearest Indiana clinic currently offering abortions is Bloomington Health Center, more than 3 hours away from Lexington by car. Indiana law requires an 18-hour waiting period for abortions.
Ohio reported 1,167 abortions received by out-of-state patients in 2020, the most recent year for which data are available. The state does not provide a breakdown of where patients are traveling from.
Indiana reported 384 abortions for out-of-state residents in 2020, the most recent year for which data are available. Kentucky residents accounted for 200 of those.
Illinois has enshrined a right to abortion in its law, and many patients from out of state seek care there. More than 9,600 people from other states sought abortion in Illinois in 2020, according to state data.
Abortion is not heavily restricted in Illinois. Surgical abortion is legal in the state up to 22 weeks and six days post-gestation, and the abortion pill is offered up to 11 weeks and six days post-gestation. As of June 1, Illinois no longer requires parental notification.
The nearest Illinois clinic to Lexington offering abortions is Champaign Health Center, which is about 5 hours away by car.
You can use this abortion provider locator to find a clinic near you.
Do you have a question about health care or reproductive rights in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
This story was originally published June 24, 2022 at 4:47 PM.
