(Radio Iowa) – Planned Parenthood officials say they do not yet know on how many Iowans have sought abortions out of state after Iowa’s ban on most abortions after the sixth week of a pregnancy took effect July 29th. Dr. Sarah Traxler is medical director for Planned Parenthood of North Central States, which includes Iowa.

“Quite a few of my patients in Minnesota and Nebraska are from Iowa,” she says. “We do anticipate partner organizations that really focus on the data of abortion care will be releasing data soon so that we can actually measure the impact of this ban in Iowa.” Iowa is among four states that ban most abortions after the sixth week of a pregnancy. The Iowa law has exceptions for rape, incest, fetal abnormality or life of the mother.

Holly Thomas, a patient navigator for Planned Parenthood, says she has personally helped 750 women in the past three months and the majority were from Iowa. “I recently worked with a patient who needed to be seen out of state. She chose to go to a nearby state, but didn’t have any transportation,” Thomas said. “We worked with volunteer pilots who were able to fly her to the location and once there, we provided her with a hotel room and gift cards for food and ride shares to get her to the airport.”

Planned Parenthood closed and consolidated some clinics in Iowa in the past year and has expanded its clinic in Omaha, Nebraska, where abortion is allowed up to the 12th week of a pregnancy. Nebraska voters are being presented with two competing ballot initiatives on abortion this election. Maggie DeWitte, executive director of Pulse Life Advocates of Iowa, is a spokesperson for the Iowa Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders. “I just feel very grateful and blessed that we live in a state where we are now moving forward with more protection for women and families in Iowa,” DeWitte says.

DeWitte says it took six years to get the Iowa abortion restrictions enforced that Governor Reynolds initially approved in 2018.