Abortion is still legal in Ohio but only up to about six weeks into pregnancy. After that, patients will likely have to travel to other states.
from a dozen clinics located in and near Toronto. The Ontario Health Insurance Program covers abortion for Canadians on that plan but other patients pay out of pocket.Abortion clinics are still open in Ohio and some neighboring states but that could change in the near future.
On Friday, a federal court lifted a stay on a 2019 law in Ohio that prohibits abortions after cardiac activity is detected. The"heartbeat" law blocks terminations after that point, which is usually about six weeks into pregnancy. So abortions at clinics in Ohio are curtailed. Roughly 62% of the 20,605 abortions in Ohio in 2020 came in the first nine weeks of pregnancy, according to
. The report doesn't detail how many terminations occurred before cardiac activity could be detected by ultrasounds.
Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.