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Report: Illinois crisis pregnancy centers outnumber abortion providers almost three-to-one

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Illinois

In Illinois, it might be common for women to encounter a crisis pregnancy center before an abortion provider because the centers are in far greater supply throughout the state, according to a WBEZ analysis of data provided by CPC Map Project at the University of Georgia and from the Abortion Finder directory.

Overall, there are nearly three times as many crisis pregnancy centers in Illinois than abortion providers, the analysis shows. Among the state’s 102 counties, there are 42 counties with crisis pregnancy centers and no in-person abortion providers. Only 12 counties in Illinois have abortion providers, and 23 of the state’s 36 abortion providers are in Cook or DuPage counties.

* Here are some WBEZ visualizations of crisis pregnancy centers and abortion providers….

* More from WBEZ…

Michele Landeau, who runs Hope Clinic, an abortion provider in downstate Granite City, has also seen patients who’ve made prior visits to crisis pregnancy centers. In times of crisis, patients sometimes choose what’s closest, Landeau said. “If I find out that I’m pregnant, unexpectedly, and I Google, you know, abortion near me, and a crisis pregnancy center comes up first, and they’re 15 minutes away. And then an abortion clinic comes up second, and they’re four hours away, I’m gonna go to the crisis pregnancy center, of course.” […]

Crisis pregnancy centers, or CPCs, have been at the center of recent debates and protests surrounding abortion access in Illinois. Most often run by nonprofit anti-abortion or religious organizations, they exist in suburban strip malls, rural town Main streets and in downtown Chicago. They are considered one of the most widespread outreach initiatives against abortion.

* Related…

AP | US judge blocks new Illinois law allowing state to penalize anti-abortion counseling centers:

* WBEZ | Illinois Democratic lawmakers want to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’: Megan Jeyifo says she often works with patients coming from CPCs. She is the executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, a nonprofit that connects individuals seeking abortion care with resources like travel and lodging accommodations. She recalled one mother from Wisconsin who was looking for an abortion clinic for her 15-year-old daughter, when they walked into a CPC instead.

posted by Isabel Miller
Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 11:50 am

Comments

It looks like the CPC’s are doing a better job. And aren’t they a higher ratio of private money? (That is not snark, I just thought they were)

Comment by Lurker Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 12:00 pm
I surmise that this difference is a factor of the level of education and professionalism needed to staff the respective programs.

Obviously, we’re not talking about an apples to apples comparison.

Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 12:02 pm
This does not surprise me at all because really abortion still is not something we want to jump up and down about as great. I am pretty sure most who are going in for abortions do not want to ever use the service in the first place. I hope these centers can keep up and remain places of refuge for those who might not want to end life right away.

Comment by clec dcn Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 12:35 pm
Looking at that map, Will County is again showing itself to be the southern Illinois of the suburbs.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 12:54 pm
Don’t compare a fake center with a real one. It doesn’t cost anything other than the box of diapers they throw at the pregnant person. The other costs money, doctors, etc.

Comment by Banish Misfortune Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 1:05 pm
Abortion clinics gravitate towards dense populations and universities. Not exactly groundbreaking journalism here.

Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 1:39 pm
From Lurker: It looks like the CPC’s are doing a better job.

I am not sure how we would measure that concept (i.e., doing a better job).

I would guess that many people who use these resources are already committed to having an unplanned birth.

Those that are not planning to have an unplanned birth may visit these centers, and then decide later not to follow up after changing there mind back toward having an abortion. Others similarly situated may initially be seeking abortion, and simply reject these services.

I would suggest measuring success is possible, and quantifiable. But without actual data on the number of people who become pregnant, and the number of those people who visit such centers, and then number of people who utilized those services to completion (birth), and the number of people who utilize these services and reject them, etc., it is hard to suggest such centers are “successful.”

The number of buildings is not a sign of success - only intensity of a movement.

Comment by H-W Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 2:25 pm
I’m really amused by folks attempt to compare the number of crisis pregnancy centers with abortion providers. Crisis pregnancy centers are whatever, the organizing group decides it is. One of the myriad of anti-abortion groups decides they want to do something so they slap the name on it and there you go. No consistency, no assurance of quality …

This is not one of WBEZ’s better products.

Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 2:58 pm
“No consistency, no assurance of quality …”

And in suburban Will County, with 700k people, no abortion centers either.

But they do have crisis centers.

Maybe it should have been a hint when calling into the health department last year, that their hold music was exclusively ‘christian hymn music’. Nah, totally an amusing coincidence. We shouldn’t pay any attention to that at all.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 4:39 pm
==And in suburban Will County, with 700k people, no abortion centers either.==

There are PP’s right across the border in Orland Park, Matteson, and Aurora.

Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 5:04 pm