‘An emotional toll:’ Jacksonville clinic front and center as 6-week abortion ban takes effect

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tuesday is the last day before Florida’s six-week abortion ban takes effect.

It will take the Sunshine State off the table as an option for women across the South who are already living under six-week bans.

A Woman’s Choice clinic here in Jacksonville has in many ways become the focal point in the conversation around the new law, as it’s the closest option for many women in the Southeast to access an abortion as late as 15 weeks.

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But starting Wednesday, most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy will be banned in Florida.

Clinicians at A Woman’s Choice spent Tuesday attempting to see as many patients as possible.

A Woman’s Choice CEO Kelly Flynn told Action News Jax the clinic expected to see two to three times its normal patient volume.

Flynn said many of those patients traveled from out of state.

“One patient this morning told me that she had just gone for a regular doctor’s appointment last week and found out she was pregnant,” Flynn said.

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Just two years ago, women in Florida could access abortion through 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Since then, Flynn has seen the reinstatement of a 24-hour wait period, a 15-week abortion ban, and now, the six-week ban.

The newest ban includes exemptions for victims of rape, incest, and human trafficking up to 15 weeks into a pregnancy.

It also has exceptions beyond 15 weeks for the life of the mother and fatal fetal abnormalities.

“And we have adapted to learning how to adapt to a new normal because there just seems that there’s no consistency,” Flynn said.

Starting Wednesday, that new normal, in many cases, will involve transitioning from providing care, to helping women seeking care find it in other states like North Carolina and Virginia where access is less restricted.

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“It’s exhausting and it just takes an emotional toll knowing that we’re at the point where we can’t provide safe accessible care for our patients right now,” Flynn said.

Flynn told Action News Jax she remains optimistic voters approve Amendment 4 in November and make this six-week ban a difficult but temporary burden to bear.

The amendment would restore abortion access back to levels seen before Roe v. Wade was overturned.

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