(WSIL) - Due to state abortion bans across the lower United States, some women in the country are traveling more than 8 hours to get an abortion. The St. Louis Region Planned Parenthood wants to help with the travel time. They brought a mobile clinic to 九游体育 Illinois. They'll mainly have it at borders-so women in states with abortion bans don't have to go as far.
The mobile unit is fully equipped with two exam rooms, a waiting room and a lab. Yamelsie Rodriguez is the CEO of the St. Louis Region Planned Parenthood. She said, the clinic will provide a range of reproductive health services.
"Our mobile unit will be the first Planned Parenthood mobile unit in the country. It will provide medication abortion, in addition to, in a couple of months, to procedural abortions," Rodriguez explained. "And of course, just like any other mobile unit, we also have the capabilities to provide a full range of family planning services."
Rodrigez said, her organization began planning for this directly following the overturning of Roe versus Wade. She said, she suspected Illinois would remain pro-choice, and a surge of women would be seeking services from other states.
"And one innovative way of doing that was bringing that healthcare closer to the boarder; staying, of course, on the Illinois side where abortion is legal and accessible," said Rodriguez.
The other perspective - pro-life. Christine Mize was the Jackson County Right to Life president for 15 years. She said, she supports education and prevention over abortion.
"Jackson County Right to Life is about education about these issues," Mize said. "Let's try to prevent these issues so we don't have to deal with unwanted pregnancies."
Mize said her fear with the mobile unit is associated with the overall healthcare.
"I would just encourage them to be careful," Mize said. "Because again, they're going to be out in a remote area and not get quick emergency medical care if they need it."
Rodriguez said, the physical abortions won't start taking place until after the first of the year. She went on to say, that patients are educated on potential risks but are proven to be safe. As she explained, the unit is a health clinic.
Overall, she said, her goal is to make sure that woman have a choice...
"There is an abortion crisis in our country," Rodriguez said. "And we have a responsibility to as providers in a state where abortion has remained legal, to do everything we can to make sure that every individual who is in need of an abortion can get one."