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The Supreme Court on Friday handed down a ruling on a case known as Dobbs v. Jackson, officially overturning Roe v. Wade, the 50-year old landmark decision that created constitutional protections for abortion and abortion providers across all U.S. states.
Friday’s 6-3 majority ruling was teased last month when Politico published a leaked draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito that argued Roe was “egregiously wrong from the start.”
More than half of states — 26 — are now likely to ban the procedure, but Pennsylvanians won’t be immediately impacted. Abortion is legal up to 24 weeks in Pa., so providers could see an uptick in demand from out-of-state patients. The commonwealth does require a 24-hour waiting period, and counseling designed to be a deterrent.
Gov. Tom Wolf has repeatedly vetoed legislation further restricting abortions, and has vowed to continue through the end of his term. Republicans in the Pa. General Assembly have put forth bills in recent years that would limit the length of time allowed for abortions or outlaw them in cases of medical complications.
Next year, however, abortion access in Pennsylvania could become less certain. The gubernatorial candidates facing off this November have widely divergent opinions on the topic.
Democratic nominee Josh Shapiro has vowed to maintain abortion protections. “I will fight any attempt to erode women’s rights in our Commonwealth,” he wrote on Friday. He reiterated his plans to reject any bills that would enforce abortion-seekers to notify their partners about the procedure.
Republican nominee Doug Mastriano has made demonizing abortion a central plank of his campaign platform and his time in the Pa. Legislature, where he serves as state senator. On Friday morning, his official Facebook page reposted a photo from state Rep. Stephanie Borowicz with the caption: “ROE v. WADE is struck DOWN!! Life won!”
Currently, Mastriano is the prime sponsor of a Pa. Senate “heartbeat bill” that would prohibit physicians from performing an abortion if they could detect what sounds like a heartbeat. This can be earlier than many people even realize they are pregnant.
In the meantime, Philadelphia has a few different options if you or someone you know might be seeking an abortion. Most of the major health systems in the city offer services through their OB/GYN departments, as do some private medical providers in the city. So if you already have a doctor and feel comfortable talking about it, you can start there.
If you’re looking for a place outside of a hospital or private doctor’s office, scroll down for a look at what you can find at other verified abortion service providers in the city.
Planned Parenthood – Locust Street Surgical Center
Address: 114 Locust St.
Phone: (215) 351-5550
Services provided: Medication abortion for patients who are less than 10 weeks along ; surgical or in-clinic abortions up to 15 weeks and 6 days after your most recent period
Planned Parenthood – Far Northeast Surgical Center
Address: 2751 Comley Rd.
Phone: (215) 464-2225
Services provided: Medication abortion for patients up to 10 after their last period ; surgical or in-clinic abortions up to 15 weeks and 6 days after your most recent period
Planned Parenthood — Castor Avenue Health Center
Address: 8291 Castor Ave.
Phone: (215) 745-5996
Services provided: Abortion referrals to verified abortion providers in the region, including other Planned Parenthood locations
Mazzoni Center
Address: 1348 Bainbridge St.
Phone: (215) 563-0652
Services provided: Medication abortion for patients up to 9 weeks after their last period or 63 days along
Philadelphia Pregnancy Center
Address: 201 N. 9th St.
Phone: (215) 627-2229
Services: Medication abortions for patients up to 8 weeks along
Penn Family Planning and Family Loss Center
Address: 3737 Market St. Suite 1210
Phone: (215) 316-5151
Services provided: Medication and surgical abortions for patients up to 24 weeks along
Philadelphia Women’s Center
Address: 777 Appletree St.
Phone: (215) 574-3590
Services provided: Medication and procedural abortions for patients up to 24 weeks along
This is a developing story and will be updated
