Colorado Planned Parenthood clinics see spike in Texas patients after state nearly bans abortions

DENVER (KDVR) — Texas is home to the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, and now Colorado clinics are feeling the impact.

Women are driving thousands of miles to get abortion procedures done in Denver after Texas passed a new abortion bill that went into effect last month.

The Planned Parenthood Clinic in Park Hill experiencing the brunt of it. The center saw a 520% increase in patients from Texas.

According to Planned Parenthood Spokesperson Neta Meltzer, Planned Parenthood’s Colorado health centers saw a 130% increase statewide from Texas patients seeking abortion care in September compared to August.

The Texas law does not include exceptions for victims of rape or incest, and allows private citizens to sue anyone who helps someone get an abortion.

The law alleges Texas women can get an abortion before a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can appear around the 6-week mark. However, critics argue many women are unaware they are pregnant around this time marker.

Supporters of the law say it’s going to save many children’s lives before they have the ability to fight for themselves.

This all comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a case in Mississippi, where there will be a drafting of a similar law. Some attorneys speculate the law could lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. That hearing is scheduled for December.

In 1967 — six years before Roe v. Wade — Colorado was the first state to decriminalize abortion. Today, it’s one of the few states that allow abortions at any stage of pregnancy.