Growing number of Georgia women traveling out of state for abortions

ATLANTA — A growing number of Georgia women are traveling out of state for an abortion.

Just across the Florida border, at his abortion clinic in Tallahassee, Dr. Stephen Duncan told me he’s seeing more and more patients from Georgia coming through his doors.

“We’re not really there to judge,” said Duncan. “We’re there to take care of them and perform what we do.”

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He says that since Georgia’s heartbeat law went into effect, along with even stricter abortion laws in other southeast states, he’s seen a 40% increase in women coming into his clinic. That’s because Florida allows abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy, as opposed to six weeks in Georgia.

“The situations vary but these girls do come in with a sense of desperation about them,” said Duncan.

At his clinic, North Florida Women’s Services, he’s hiring more staff and adding extra hours to handle the extra patients.

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In Atlanta, at the Feminist Women’s Health Center, executive director Kwajelyn Jackson says some other Georgia women travel to North Carolina where abortion remains legal up until 20 weeks.

“It certainly is heartbreaking,” said Jackson. “Our staff who are taking appointments — who are listening to people’s frustration and fear and anger and desperation are trying their best to alleviate people’s concerns.”

Pro-life advocates in Georgia want those women to make a different choice.

“They don’t need to be told that there is no other option,” said Mike Griffin, a pro-life advocate and former Baptist pastor in Gwinnett County.

Griffin wants women to know there are other alternatives before traveling out of state.

“So these women can make a full and complete decision and to realize that killing the unborn child, is not the only option that they have now,” said Griffin.

He says other options like adoption are the paths more women should consider.

“Death does not have to be the option for this child,” said Griffin.

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