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The Ryan Center: Improving access to abortion care
Half of the Ryan Center’s current abortion patients are self-pay and are in financial need. Philanthropic support enables the Ryan Center to offer financial assistance for patients who have exhausted all other options.
Millions of people undergo abortion in the United States each year. As many legislatures restrict abortion funding and state lawmakers enact abortion bans across the country, the University of Chicago Medicine Ryan Center is treating higher volumes of patients in financial need and out-of-state patients.
If the US Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, 26 states are likely to ban abortion, with laws as extreme as prohibiting abortion after six weeks of pregnancy under all or nearly all circumstances including incest and rape. These restrictions will force even more patients to travel out-of-state to Illinois and the UChicago Medicine Ryan Center for abortion services.
The Ryan Center at the University of Chicago Medicine provides reliable, confidential, and comprehensive health care for those seeking abortion services, contraceptive services, and miscarriage care. The Ryan Center offers:
- Medical abortion up to 10 weeks
- Office-based surgical abortion to 14 weeks
- Hospital-based surgical abortion in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy
- Operating room procedures up to 23 weeks 6 days
- Abortion services for pregnancies complicated by medical conditions and fetal abnormalities
There are many barriers to receiving abortion care.
Patients from surrounding Illinois states are affected by their state’s restrictive abortion laws and are forced to seek services out-of-state. This results in limited access to care for individuals traveling out-of-state.
Patients often face increased costs for procedures when, at the time of their abortion visit, they discover that they are further along in their pregnancy than originally anticipated. These patients must pay the difference in cost on the spot or risk losing their appointment slot and potentially their care until they have the appropriate funds.
Many patients delay their appointments in order to raise money for expenses associated with their abortion visit—specifically, costs of child care and transportation. Putting off the appointment not only increases the price of the abortion, but it also raises the level of risk associated with the procedure. In some cases, patients will even forego necessities such as toiletries or bus fare in order to pay for their abortion. Having funds set aside specifically to help offset the cost of accessing care allows the Ryan Center to see patients earlier in their pregnancy and avoid situations where patients place themselves in potential danger in order to afford their visit.
Abortion patients rely on the Ryan Center’s subsidized prices and clinic availability in order to continue to access care. Your gift will help to subsidize abortion procedures, improve access to care, and prevent future unwanted pregnancies for all patients in financial need.
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