Local abortion providers have seen an influx of patients from regions of the United States impacted by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, with the Chicago Abortion Fund acting to provide logistical and financial support to those seeking an abortion.
"Abortion clinics, even if they weren’t in the zone of disaster, they’re still feeling the impacts of resources being pulled in other places and their people, their staff needing to evacuate or take care of themselves," Qudsiyyah Shariyf, the interim executive director at CAF said.
Shariyf said CAF has helped dozens of people, directly and indirectly, who were affected by the hurricanes.
"We had Floridians reaching out to us, people in North Carolina or Tennessee, that were relying [on] going to North Carolina, and now they couldn’t, and now needed to turn to Illinois," Shariyf said.
Prior to the hurricanes, CAF had already seen an influx in people seeking care following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
"Since the Dobbs decision, we’ve supported over 26,000 people," Shariyf said.
"In 2019, we supported 823 people. In 2020, that jumped to 1,200, compared to this past year, which was 13,000."
Local
Dr. Allison Cowett, the medical director at Family Planning Associates, said her clinic has also served patients coming from hurricane-ravaged states, where access to abortion was already limited.
"We are a large, independent clinic, and see over 1,000 patients each month. 30% of those folks are coming from out of state," Dr. Cowett said. "Prior to the Dobbs decision, we were seeing 12%."
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
"Different legislative changes, as well as societal impacts, and weather catastrophes like the hurricanes continues to impact who needs to travel to Illinois for care," Dr. Cowett said.
Illinois has seen the largest influx of people traveling from out of state for abortion care, according to the Society of Family Planning.
As they manage more out-of-state patients, Chicago clinics and funds are also dealing with a significant cut in federal aid. In September, three national abolition funds closed or significantly reduced their financial support.
Shariyf said since September, CAF has received a 100% increase in calls from people requesting help.
"Right now, we are in the middle of a funding crisis," Shariyf said.
Despite the challenges, both Shariyf and Dr. Cowett said their agencies remain steadfast in serving patients both in and out of state.
"While we do face this uncertainty around the election, around national funding cuts, we are here in Illinois, in Chicagoland, and throughout the state to care for people who need this basic healthcare," Dr. Cowett said.
"We know, regardless of what happens in November, people are still going to need support, and we want to make sure we’re here to be able to help everyone that’s relying on us," Shariyf said.
