Illinois residents can now access abortion pill through mobile app

SPRINGFIELD, ILL (WICS/WRSP) — Reproductive health care services just got more accessible for residents here in Illinois.

Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region expanded access to medication abortion to the State of Illinois.

Residents in Illinois will now be able to access the abortion pill through a mobile app.

Pregnant patients up to 10 weeks with an Illinois mailing address can have access through the Planned Parenthood Direct app ("PPDirect”).

Once the app is downloaded, patients have to fill out a screening form and within 24 hours medication will be mailed.

“It is for us an opportunity for folks to engage with the app in a way that can be completely free of face to face interaction with a clinician,"said Dr. Colleen McNicholas, Chief Medical Officer of the Planned Parenthood St. Louis Region, "if you happen to work the 2am shift and you want to get on the app and have this health care visit just before you go to work you can do that."

The goal is to provide easily accessible options for patients, as well as free up spaces in clinics after longer delays for appointments.

Some, however, say methods like this bring concerns.

“It's something that I don't like hearing, just because it's a situation where it's just abortion on demand without any thought, and that's something we really need to reconsider in the state of Illinois," said Rep. Adam Niemerg (R) Dieterich.

Niemerg said he believes parents need to be involved.

He added that the previous bill to remove parental notification for minors to get abortions barely passed the legislature, and said they need to bring that back and have a conversation.

The Planned Parenthood of Illinois said in a statement:

Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) applauds Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri (PPSLR) for launching medication abortion through the PPDirect app. PPIL supports any and all increases in abortion care access for patients, especially at a time when more and more states are instituting bans and restrictions. PPIL continues to provide medication and procedural abortion care to patients, and is looking forward to implementing medication abortion though the PPDirect app in the near future.

The Illinois Right to Life Action said in a statement:

Adding a mobile app option to the avenues by which women can access abortion further demonstrates how little the abortion industry cares for women’s health. Something as serious as ending the life of a preborn child deserves more forethought and consideration than ordering a pizza. Abortion is a serious and life altering decision and using a cell phone to receive one trivializes the serious nature of the situation. No real informed consent is provided and sadly, women will be hurt by this.