Florida abortion clinics squeeze in as many patients as possible ahead of 6-week ban

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Abortion clinics in Florida say they have been trying to see as many patients as possible before the state's ban on abortions after six weeks takes effect Wednesday.

In Jacksonville, a clinic called A Woman’s Choice provided around double its usual volume of abortions Monday, according to Amber Gavin, its vice president of advocacy and operations.

The waiting room has been so crowded that patients' companions were asked to stay in their cars or drop people off to free up space, Gavin said. Parking spaces were also scarce, prompting some patients to park off-site and walk to the clinic.

“Tomorrow is going to look very different,” Kelly Flynn, CEO of A Woman’s Choice, said Tuesday. “A lot of patients will come in for the consult and be told that we can’t see them.”

Florida's new restriction, which takes effect just after midnight on Wednesday, makes it a felony to perform or actively participate in an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. Because gestation is counted from a woman's last period, that leaves her around two weeks after a missed period to realize she is pregnant and complete the process to terminate the pregnancy, which in Florida requires two in-person visits to a clinic, 24 hours apart.

The ban has exceptions for rape, incest and human trafficking up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. Abortions can also be provided after six weeks if there's a fatal fetal abnormality, a woman's life is at stake or she faces “substantial and irreversible” physical impairment.

Candace Dye, the owner of A Woman’s World Medical Center in Fort Pierce, Florida, said phones were ringing off the hook last week as patients tried to book appointments.

“We usually only do like 50, 60 patients in one month,” Dye said.