PORTLAND, Maine — Planned Parenthood of Northern New England says it has seen a 20-percent increase in appointments for birth control over the last three months.
It comes after two major Supreme Court reversals in June, including the Roe v. Wade and Dobbs v. Jackson's Women's Health Organization. Despite protections in Maine, both rulings threatened reproductive rights nationwide.
"I think it's surprising," Planned Parenthood Northern New England's spokesperson Nicole Clegg said.
According to Clegg, the organization saw as much of a 60-percent jump in appointment requests for birth control, including IUDs, immediately following the rulings.
"We anticipated that we see people traveling to Maine for care, whether that's abortion care or because they can't get earlier birth control appointments in their states, and we've see that for sure," Clegg said. "But it was surprising to us to see how people in Maine are internalizing and absorbing the information of Dobbs and as a result making different decisions about their health."
While the organization continues to see a steady number of people coming from states where abortions have been banned, according to Clegg, the number of people in the state seeking birth control and contraceptives has been significant.
Despite the federal rulings, Maine law still protects abortion rights and access to birth control, but Clegg said the organization is still bracing for that to possibly change.
Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund, the organization's advocacy arm, has endorsed Governor Janet Mills's reelection campaign.
"We are committed to make sure anyone who needs access to birth control in Maine can get it from us," Clegg said. "We need people who are in the state legislature and in the Blaine House to protect our basic rights and freedoms."