Illinois Right to Life is speaking out against Planned Parenthood and its new mobile abortion clinic.
Planned Parenthood this week announced it would use a large RV equipped with abortion services to travel Illinois’ borders with neighboring states. The mobile clinic will remain in Illinois but will look to provide abortion services to women living in other states with more restrictive abortion laws.
A statement from Yamelsie Rodríguez, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, said the mobile clinic shows it is committed to providing services to those in need.
“When Roe fell 100 days ago, we doubled down on our commitment to patients,” Rodriguez said. “Today we march forward, expanding access to family planning in Missouri while we take abortion care on the road in Illinois.”
Amy Gehrke of the Illinois Right To Life Foundation told the Center Square that this is another move by Planned Parenthood to increase profits.
“Planned Parenthood, not only here in Illinois but all across the U.S., has proven that it is willing to do anything to increase its profits,” Gehrke said. “Even at the expense of women’s health and safety.”
Illinois has some of the most liberal abortion laws in the nation. Gehrke warns that this could lead to more radical actions from Planned Parenthood.
“The abortion industry has not stopped yet,” Gehrke told The Center Square. “Planned Parenthood has been pushing for legislation that would make it legal for abortions to take place without doctors during the first trimester of pregnancy.”
The Mobile Abortion Clinic is the first mobile clinic providing abortion care in the Midwest and the first for Planned Parenthood in the country.
Planned Parenthood stated that the mobile clinic is needed to keep up with an influx of patients.
“We are meeting a unique need in a geographic area surrounded by states that have banned abortion,” the statement said. “Our health center in Fairview Heights has seen a 30% increase in abortion patients. We expected a patient surge, but it came much faster than anticipated.”
This article originally appeared on The Center Square.
