The Shifting Landscape of Abortion Access in Missouri
The legal status of abortion in Missouri has become increasingly precarious, creating significant challenges for both patients and providers. Following the July ruling impacting abortion access, the state has experienced periods of both availability and restriction, leading to disruption and uncertainty in care.As a policy analyst at the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute stated, the ability to access reproductive healthcare is now heavily dependent on geographic location, describing the situation as “Terrifying.”
At a Kansas City Planned Parenthood clinic, ob-gyn Selina Sandoval highlighted the difficulty of navigating the evolving legal landscape.She explained that she receives frequent updates from the organization’s attorney regarding new developments, even while actively providing care.”Even as someone who’s doing this care every day, it is indeed so hard to follow what’s going on,” she admitted, also noting she treats patients across the state line in kansas.
This on-again, off-again access hinders Planned Parenthood’s ability to effectively prepare for periods when abortion is legally permissible. Training staff, scheduling doctors, and publicizing availability become challenging when the future is uncertain. Emily Wales, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, explained that for years, clinics have proactively warned patients about potential interruptions. ”We had appointments available,” she said, “but we would tell people as they booked them, ‘We have a license renewal coming up,’ or ‘We have an injunction in place that has a hearing, so let’s go ahead and create a backup plan.’ ”
During a recent visit to the Kansas City clinic, only seven of ten available appointments were filled. One patient, a 28-year-old mother of four, expressed relief at finding care locally, having initially anticipated needing to travel. She explained that a journey for abortion services would have created significant hardship, impacting her work and adding to an already overwhelming situation. “It would have caused chaos in my life,” she said.
The barriers to access are prompting increased reliance on support networks. Angela Huntington, based in Columbia, Missouri, works as a patient navigator, providing financial and logistical assistance to individuals seeking abortions. This includes covering costs for transportation (plane tickets, rideshares), lodging, childcare, and the abortion procedure itself. In 2024 alone, an estimated 155,000 people crossed state lines to obtain abortion care. Huntington described her work as deeply meaningful, stating, “I don’t know if I could do anything else.” She recently assisted an unhoused woman traveling from thirty-five miles away who faced complications at the airport due to lacking proper identification and a consistent address. “It’s a mess,” Huntington acknowledged.
The challenges extend beyond logistical hurdles. One Missouri woman’s journey to terminate a pregnancy involved navigating five states. The nurse and mother of five had initially been overjoyed to learn she was expecting a son, named Mychael. However, prenatal testing revealed trisomy 18, a severe genetic condition often resulting in stillbirth or a tragically short and painful life for the infant. Doctors resolute Mychael’s case was especially severe, offering no prospect of a healthy life. “we went to all the appointments. We did all the ultrasounds,” she explained. “Beyond a miracle happening, there was no way we were delivering a healthy child free of pain.”
