As appears set to weaken federal abortion protections, three out of New Mexico鈥檚 four neighboring states have recently passed laws limiting access to the procedure. Out-of-state patients seeking care in New Mexico are now putting pressure on an already sparse system.
Just this week, that would make performing abortions a felony in most cases. , Arizona鈥檚 governor signed a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. And in September, to before a heartbeat is detected.
Charlene Bencomo, executive director of the reproductive justice advocacy group , says while out-of-state patients inundating abortion providers here is concerning, limited access is not a new problem.
鈥淎 lack of reproductive healthcare services, including abortion, in rural areas in New Mexico has been a real issue for a very long time,鈥� Bencomo said in an online briefing Tuesday.
The only clinics in the state that provide procedural abortions are in Albuquerque. Those include the , and . That means hours of potential travel for many New Mexicans, as medication abortions available elsewhere in the state are only an option for someone who鈥檚 been pregnant for 11 weeks or less.
The clinics in the state鈥檚 second and third largest counties 鈥� and in Do帽a Ana County and in Santa Fe County 鈥� provide only abortion pills, not procedures.
Bencomo says as more out-of-state patients seek abortions here, New Mexicans won鈥檛 necessarily get priority to the limited procedural care available.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not like, you know, 鈥榶ou鈥檙e from New Mexico, we鈥檙e going to serve you first,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淭hey are handling it in the best ways that they can based on urgency, based on need,鈥� she said of abortion providers in the state.
Bencomo says that while New Mexico has protected access to abortion, including , there is still considerable work to be done to address barriers.
