Only abortion clinic may end up across the river in Illinois

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) – A clinic quietly constructed in southern Illinois to meet demand for abortion services by residents outside the state is close to opening.

Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri says Wednesday is opening day for its Fairview Heights clinic.

The new 18,000-square-foot (1,700-square-meter) facility will provide surgical and medication abortions, family planning services, annual exams, sexually transmitted infection testing and HIV prevention.

The clinic’s construction began last year, but details weren’t released until near completion to avoid protesters and potential construction delays.

Missouri is among several conservative states to pass new abortion restrictions in the hope that the increasingly conservative U.S. Supreme Court will eventually overturn Roe v. Wade.

Planned Parenthood officials say Illinois is well-positioned to serve as a health care hub for the region.