The end of Roe hasn't drawn more women to Kansas for abortions — it was already a destination

Kansas saw a flood of out-of-state patients seeking abortion care before the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. Although more states enacted their own restrictions, a Kansas clinic does not expect to see another influx of women because the trek will be too far for them.

LAWRENCE, Kansas — Even as an abortion refuge in a region where a growing number of states impose ever-tightening restrictions, and outright bans, on the procedure, another wave of women coming to Kansas for treatment has yet to materialize.

Operators of clinics offering abortion in Kansas say Midwestern and Southern states where the procedure is no longer available are too far away to make the trip to Kansas. The state was already an abortion destination for large numbers of women from Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month.