June 24, 2022, was the day everything changed. When the Supreme Court handed down the Dobbs v. Jackson decision overturning Roe V. Wade, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin stopped providing abortions in the state. But it did not close its doors. All 22 health centers in Wisconsin stayed open and even expanded services for patients seeking birth control, pregnancy counseling and reproductive health services. Milwaukee Magazine spoke with associate medical director Dr. Allison Linton and legal director Michelle Velasquez about how Planned Parenthood’s operations have changed in the past year, and the organization’s efforts to restore abortion access. This summer, a judge in Dane County ruled that a lawsuit to challenge the 1849 abortion ban could proceed – a case that may end at the State Supreme Court.
In Wisconsin, there are many Planned Parenthood clinics open, though none provide abortions. Do you still see patients visiting, and for what services?
Allison Linton: Absolutely. All of our health centers are open; we have not closed any of them. And we are seeing the whole gamut.
I’m in the clinic today, and I have a full schedule of patients coming in for [sexually transmitted infection] visits, pap smears, breast exams, routine reproductive health care and birth control. In addition to that, we are seeing patients that are seeking abortion services. We can provide an initial ultrasound, initial counseling and then have them meet with our patient navigators to help them get to care out of state in the most efficient way possible.
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Has the demand for reproductive health care services other than abortion gone up in the past year?
AL: Anecdotally, it feels like it’s gone up. I have a lot of patients that are coming in and choosing different forms of birth control, because they are concerned about the implications if they were to get pregnant. We are also seeing a lot of patients coming in for pregnancy tests or counseling very early.
There’s a lawsuit in progress to overturn the 1849 abortion ban in Wisconsin. If the ban is overturned, how quickly can Planned Parenthood resume offering abortions in the state?
Michelle Velasquez: I think some folks think we need to wait until this case plays out before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. But really, once there is a final decision from the court with jurisdiction right now, which is Dane County Circuit Court, we could resume services.
Our three health centers that previously provided abortion services have remained fully staffed. In terms of staff, space and other sort of general operational needs, we would be able to start services pretty quickly.
AL: The same way that we sort of planned with this expectation of what would happen with Dobbs, we are all very dedicated to making that shift, as soon as Michelle says that we legally can.
What else is Planned Parenthood looking at on the legal front?
MV: The current lawsuit is absolutely critical to restoring access in Wisconsin, but it [would] simply revert to the framework that existed prior to Dobbs; it doesn’t give folks any sort of a right. The legal strategy has to include a component of long-term protection through things like a court finding that the Wisconsin constitution includes the right to choose an abortion, or a constitutional amendment enshrining a right to abortion. I think that it’s important for people to know that this is a marathon and not a sprint.
