• Hours after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion bans and restrictions went into effect in states across the country.
  • A ban on abortions after six weeks took effect in Ohio, for example, and providers in Kentucky shut their doors due to the state’s “trigger law” banning abortions.
  • Many pregnant people seeking abortions in these states turned to clinics in Indiana, where abortion remains legal for now. But providers warn of an uncertain future.

INDIANAPOLIS – On Monday, three days after the Supreme Court issued its groundbreaking decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist, took a call from a colleague, a child abuse doctor in Ohio.

Hours after the Supreme Court action, Ohio had outlawed any abortion after six weeks. Now, this doctor had a 10-year-old patient in the office who was six weeks and three days pregnant.

Could Bernard help?

Indiana lawmakers are poised to further restrict or ban abortion in mere weeks. The Indiana General Assembly will convene in a special session July 25 when it will discuss restrictions to abortion policy.

But for now, the procedure still is legal in the state. And so the 10-year-old girl was soon on her way to Indiana to Bernard’s care. 

Dobbs ruling:Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, eliminating constitutional right to abortion  

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Indiana abortion laws unchanged, but effect still felt across state

The 10-year-old isn’t alone. As abortion bans take effect across the country, more and more pregnant people are crossing state lines in hopes of getting the care they need.

But even in some states where abortion remains legal for now, many fear that further restrictions or bans could trickle down in the future.

While Indiana law did not change last week when the Supreme Court issued its groundbreaking Dobbs decision, abortion providers here have felt an effect, experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of patients coming to their clinics from neighboring states with more restrictive policies.