Sept. 15 marks the day that Indiana's near-total ban on abortion takes effect, according to IndyStar.
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the new policy into law in early August after the Indiana General Assembly passed the measure during a two-week special session.
The new law bans abortion in most instances at zero weeks of life. The only exceptions are in the case of fatal fetal anomalies, if the life or serious health of the mother is at risk and in cases of rape and incest. Victims of rape or incest may have an abortion up to 10 weeks post-fertilization.
Also, under the new policy, abortions only can be performed in hospital settings. The vast majority of abortions performed in Indiana historically have occurred in free-standing abortion centers.
Abortion care providers say it's difficult to predict how many abortions will be performed in Indiana under the new law
Last year, 8,414 abortions occurred in Indiana, according to an Indiana Department of Health's annual report. The report does not include information on how many of those abortions were performed for any of the instances allowed under the new law.
The ACLU has filed two lawsuits to try to stop the new statute.
Also on Sept. 15, Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) announced the expansion of abortion care options at its existing Champaign Health Center, 302 E. Stoughton.
PPIL has renovated the health center in order to add in-clinic abortion services for the first time to its options for patients. The Champaign expansion is doubling in-clinic abortion access for central Illinois and is providing abortion-care options in closer proximity to people traveling from Indiana and southwest Ohio. PPIL is working with providers from Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee and Ohio to adequately staff the increase in abortion care.
For complete information and locations, visit PPIL.org .