Appointments for birth control at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England have increased 20% since June, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion.
Spokesperson Nicole Clegg says the majority of appointments are for long-acting reversible contraception, which is the most effective method of birth control.
"I would say we were surprised by the increased demand of people living in Maine," says Clegg. "We anticipated folks having to travel from banned states, but the big impact here is Maine people making different decisions based on what's happening nationally."
Even though Maine currently protects the right to an abortion, Clegg says uncertainty about whether that could change is driving the demand.
She also says Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, which covers Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, continues to provide abortions to a handful of patients each week from states where the procedure is banned.
