Update: Some have questioned the veracity of this story — this Twitter thread is a good breakdown.
The story about a 10 yr old pregnant girl who had to go from Ohio to IN for an abortion gives me serious pause for a number of reasons. There are many red flags.🚩I'm going to detail them here. pic.twitter.com/1PkzmvfzRS
— Megan Fox (@MeganFoxWriter) July 5, 2022
See original story below:
The state of Ohio has outlawed abortion after six weeks, causing an influx of patients to seek the procedure in neighboring Indiana. Among those patients was a 10-year-old girl who was six weeks and three days pregnant, The Indianapolis Star reports.
Speaking to the Star, Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Caitlin Bernard said that she was notified about the girl just three days after the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. In Indiana, abortion is legal up to 22 weeks after a person’s last menstrual cycle, but that could change since state lawmakers are looking to further restrict the procedure.
“It’s hard to imagine that in just a few short weeks we will have no ability to provide that care,” Bernard said.
From IndyStar:
More than 100 patients in Dayton had to be scheduled at the Indianapolis facility, a representative for Women’s Med, wrote in an email to IndyStar.
Women and pregnant people are “crying, distraught, desperate, thankful and appreciative,” the representative wrote.
The two centers are working together to route patients to Indianapolis for a termination after a pre-op appointment in Dayton. In recent months, they have also had people from southern states, like Texas, come north for a procedure.
Many patients, particularly from Ohio and Kentucky, are seeking care through Women’s Med while also making multiple appointments in other states so if one state closes down, they will still have some options, the representative wrote.
Indiana lawmakers are being tight-lipped as to what exact restrictions they’re seeing to implement. In the meantime, abortion providers are trying their best to accommodate patients from within the state and outside.
“We are doing the best we can to increase availability and access as long as we can, knowing that this will be a temporary time frame that we can offer that assistance,” said independent obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Katie McHugh.
Read more at IndyStar.
