New Chicago abortion clinic ‘excited’ to offer abortions in 3rd trimester

The third trimester begins around week 28 of pregnancy, and 90 percent of babies born after this milestone typically survive outside of the womb, according to an NIH study.

"Hope Clinic is now open in Chicago, IL, expanding our care through all trimesters! (And OMG we couldn't be more excited)," the clinic wrote on Instagram. "Everyone deserves access to abortion care, whenever they need it. Because deciding and acting on what's best for you shouldn't be on anyone else's timeline."

Illinois law permits women to terminate their pregnancies via abortion up to fetal viability, which usually occurs around week 24 of pregnancy. However, there is an exception if the mother's health or well-being could be threatened by the baby, "including, but not limited to, physical, emotional, psychological, and familial health and age," according to the state's Reproductive Health Act.

Dr. Erin King, the chief medical officer at Hope Clinic, which also has a location in Granite City, told the Chicago Tribune that the facility would be following state law while providing abortion access to as many women as possible.

"I want people to know that we are absolutely following the law, but that we make a really careful determination," she said. "And we want to provide access to as many people as we can within the law."

Hope Clinic lists some examples on its website of why women may seek third-trimester abortions, which include women not finding out they were with child until later on in their pregnancy and getting to make decisions that they feel are right for them.

A 2023 Gallup poll found that the majority of Americans oppose late-term abortions, with 70 percent objecting to third-trimester abortions and 55 percent to abortions in the second trimester.

Anne O'Connor, VP of Legal Affairs at The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, a pro-life organization, told Fox News that late-term abortions are "gruesome and unnecessary," explaining that babies in the third trimester are "fully formed, unique human beings."

"This is a shameful situation and ironic that it is happened at a place called 'Hope.' There is no hope in that ghastly chamber - just despair and destruction," said O'Connor. "The sad thing is that it is legal because the United States is one of the few countries in the world that does not put any limits on late-term abortions. We are joined by the likes of China, Vietnam, and South Korea in destroying human beings in this horrific and appalling manner."

Hope Clinic, the only standalone clinic in the Midwest to offer third-trimester abortions, defended its policies in a statement to Fox News, saying, "All people deserve access to high-quality health care throughout pregnancy without arbitrary restrictions, and we are committed to providing this care so our patients can make the best decisions for themselves and their families."