KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Thousands of people left Tennessee for abortion care in 2023, according to data from a research and advocacy organization — the Guttmacher Institute. On July 1, a new state law will go into effect barring people from helping minors cross state lines to find abortion care outside Tennessee without parental permission.
The institute found around 171,000 people across the country traveled away from their home state for abortion care in 2023 — more than double the count from 2019. It also found Tennessee has some of the most restrictive laws on abortion care.
The state bans abortions at all stages of pregnancy, but there are exemptions in cases of molar pregnancies, ectopic pregnancies, and to remove a miscarriage or to save the life of the mother. Notably, doctors must use their “reasonable medical” judgment — a term that some say is too vague and can be challenged by fellow medical officials — in deciding whether providing the procedure can save the life of the pregnant patient or prevent major injury.
"We're deeply disappointed that the legislature continues to attack reproductive rights," said Ashley Coffield, the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi. "They want to police people who are traveling out of state to get that care legally in other places, and they're attacking those people that minors trust to help them."
Critics of the state's new "abortion trafficking" law also warned it could dissuade pregnant minors from reaching out for help if they were in abusive situations. Coffield said minors who need help should still reach out for help, especially to people in states where abortion care is legal.
"If they don't have a parent or guardian support, they still need to reach out to a trusted adult and a helper in their life. Don't stop doing that. That is not against the law, for you to ask for help. And, you know, you can discuss your options. You can reach out to a state where abortion is legal and see what options they have to help you," said Coffield.
She said Planned Parenthood clinics in Tennessee can also refer minors to providers in other states who may be able to help if they are in dangerous situations.
"It's exactly what we expected. It's what we told everybody was going to happen. And I hope that you believe us now," said Coffield.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in 2021 before the Roe v. Wade decision was overturned, around 10,000 Tennessee residents got abortion care. More than 950 of them were under 19 years old, it said.
"I think that so many people need to get care out of state for all kinds of pregnancy conditions now, that they could have gotten in Tennessee before," said Coffield. "(Providers) really stepped up knowing that people from Nashville and Memphis we're really going to need a close by place to travel for healthcare."
She said many patients travel to Illinois for abortion care from Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee — the nearest place with laws protecting abortion care access. However, Coffield said patients in East Tennessee have a tough time finding abortion care. She said Planned Parenthood had to arrange transportation for one patient to find abortion care, connecting her with a supportive person out of state to help her find care.
"She lived in a rural part of East Tennessee. She had no transportation at all. She had no money to get care, and she finally found us," said Coffield. "So she was so grateful, she cried and cried with gratitude that we were able to help her from the situation that she was in before the Dobbs decision — before abortion was banned. It would have been a lot easier for her to get to Knoxville and get an abortion from us or another provider."
The Tennessee Right to Life Organization, which advocates for more restrictive abortion laws, said the state's recent law is meant to involve parents in pregnant minors' decisions.
"We think this is a common sense piece of legislation that is needed to protect parents and is needed to protect underage girls from an industry that wants to separate her from her parents at such a vulnerable time," said Stacy Dunn, the organization's president. "We lived under the legalization of aborting children for almost 50 years, and we're working to turn that tide and make not only our state but our nation a place where life is protected and respected in all its ages."
Coffield said Planned Parenthood brought thousands of people to the legislature over the years to advocate for improved abortion care access.
"It has had no effect, has had no impact. And so we are tripling our investment in grassroots advocacy because we're coming for their seats. We are ready to make an impact on the Tennessee General Assembly and to stop the supermajority from affecting our lives and our freedoms," said Coffield.