“Although this is an unexpected occurrence, we will bounce back quickly and be able to serve the women of Dayton shortly,” the representative said.
The representative from Women’s Med asked not to be named for security reasons.
Women’s Med Center is one of the region’s only abortion providers. The next nearest location that can provide the abortion pill and procedure is about 50 miles away at the Planned Parenthood - Cincinnati Surgical Center, 2314 Auburn Ave., Cincinnati.
Contractors told the center’s representatives that the center should be up and running in about one more week, at least for medical terminations through the abortion pill, which can be prescribed through 9 weeks and 6 days in a pregnancy.
In the fall of 2022, the center almost closed entirely due to the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing for a previous and strict Heartbeat Law in Ohio to come into place for approximately 11 weeks.
The 6-week abortion ban likely contributed to a 15% decline in abortions in 2022. Montgomery County saw 7.7% decline in 2022.
A total of 18,488 induced pregnancy terminations were reported in Ohio for 2022, according to the Ohio Department of Health data, including 17,201 obtained by Ohio resident women (93%).
By comparison, a total of 21,813 induced pregnancy terminations were reported in Ohio in 2021, including 20,716 obtained by Ohio resident women (95%).
Figures on abortions in Ohio in 2023 will not be available until October, per the Ohio Revised Code.
A preliminary injunction imposed by a Hamilton County judge on Ohio’s Heartbeat Law in September 2022 allowed the Women’s Med Center to stay open. The passage of Issue 1 last year added reproductive rights, like abortion access, to the Ohio Constitution, circumventing the end of Roe v. Wade. The passage of Issue 1 also ended a complicated legal battle before the Ohio Supreme Court that was challenging that preliminary injunction.
The case of Preterm Cleveland V. David Yost that imposed the preliminary injunction on Ohio’s Heartbeat Law is still open in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. A case management conference is scheduled for next week.
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