All available appointments for free abortions and vasectomies provided by Planned Parenthood of Great Rivers in Illinois have been filled. The organization announced that the sign-up window for these services had closed, as all slots were quickly taken. Kamala Harris, the current Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate, has made abortion rights a central focus of her campaign during the Biden-Harris administration.
Planned Parenthood of Great Rivers posted, “All free vasectomy and medication abortion appointments are filled for our mobile health clinic in Chicago. Check back soon — we will share the interest form link again if we have cancellations.”
This update followed the organization’s earlier announcement that their mobile medical unit would be stationed near the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago. In a previous post, the group encouraged people to reserve their spots, stating, “It’s not too late to reserve your FREE medication abortion appointment at our mobile health clinic in Chicago’s West Loop 8/19 & 8/20,” with a link to the sign-up form. They also noted that a waitlist had been established for vasectomies, urging people to “Repost to spread the word!”
The post featured a video of three women chanting “our pussies, our choice” in front of The Wieners Circle, a popular Chicago street food vendor, whose sign read, “Protected abortion, IVF, contraception.”
Planned Parenthood of Great Rivers had previously announced, “Here we come, Chicago! Our mobile health clinic will be in the West Loop with Chicago Abortion Fund & The Wieners Circle Aug 19-20, providing FREE vasectomies & medication abortion. EC [emergency contraception] will also be available for free without an appointment.” The organization serves both Missouri and Illinois.
The Google form, now fully booked with individuals seeking to either terminate a pregnancy or opt for sterilization, originally read, “Planned Parenthood Great Rivers is bringing our mobile health care unit to the DNC! We are offering vasectomy and medication abortions from the mobile unit in the West Loop. Services will be provided on a sliding-fee scale — pay what you can and get the health care you need.” The appointments were available for August 19 and 20.
Currently, the sign-up link indicates that all spots have been taken. Planned Parenthood has stated that they will reopen the form if any cancellations occur and will also accommodate individuals on the waitlist.
For those unable to secure a free appointment, numerous options for pregnancy termination are available in Chicago, including the Family Planning Associates clinic, which performs more than 15,000 abortions annually. The clinic has increased its services by 20% since the overturning of Roe v. Wade at the federal level.
Although the mobile clinic is not officially affiliated with the DNC, Planned Parenthood and abortion rights remain central to the Democratic platform. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has expressed a commitment to enacting federal abortion legislation to ensure access across all fifty states.
“I am being precise,” Harris said in September 2023, before taking the top spot on the ticket from President Joe Biden. “We need to put into law the protections of Roe v. Wade. And that is about going back to where we were before the Dobbs decision.”
Harris’ supporters within the abortion rights movement, however, are pushing to “go beyond Roe.” Mini Timmaraju, President of Reproductive Freedom for All, stated, “The debate is what we can get done and how quickly it can get done.” Timmaraju also distinguished Harris from other leading Democrats, noting, “She has a longer history as an advocate, and she’s a lot more comfortable with the issue.”