JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Dozens of people in Florida are being turned away from getting a procedure they say they need.
With Florida's six-week abortion ban now in effect, a Jacksonville clinic is getting flooded with calls and they're having to tell some of those callers to go elsewhere. For those at the clinic, there is one unexpected bright spot where some say they're finding hope.
That spot is inside a bathroom at Jacksonville’s Planned Parenthood Health Center, located on Powers Avenue. It's become a message board of inspiration for some women. It started with one person’s note about a year ago, a supervisor at the health center said. Now, markers are inside waiting for anyone’s story.
“There’s over 100 messages on the wall by now and everyday there’s a new one,” said Health Center supervisor Morgan Daniel.
A couple messages read “You are loved” and “The right choice is your choice.” The women reading them will now be turned away from getting an abortion if they’re six or more weeks pregnant, a point at which, Daniel said, most women don’t know they’re pregnant.
“It’s frustrating,” Daniel told First Coast News. “They're frustrated. It's sad. People have a hard time getting to appointments in their state 10 minutes down the road. So, having to arrange childcare, missing work, money is insanely difficult."
About 40 women have been turned away from clinics with Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida in the two days after the six-week ban took effect Wednesday, according to the organization.
Before Wednesday, Florida’s abortion laws were less restrictive than surrounding states, making it a destination for the procedure. One message on the wall in the Jacksonville Planned Parenthood states the person who wrote it traveled five hours to Florida.
This year, more than 1,300 women from out-of-state received abortions in Florida, according to the Agency for Healthcare Administration.
“A lot of women and Florida voters are very passionate about this,” said Kristen Wayne, regional coordinator for Students for Life of America. “This is what they were told, it’s a women’s rights issue. Then when you think more about it and how abortions are done, it’s wrong.”
Wayne protested outside the Jacksonville Planned Parenthood Wednesday. Now, she’s traveling the state encouraging people to vote ‘no’ on Amendment 4 in November, which would protect abortion rights in the Florida Constitution.
"We’re just here to speak out about that and to let women know that, 'Hey, this isn’t your only option,'" she said. “If you would like to choose life, we’re here to help you and it’s gonna be hard, but we’re here to walk with you and give you the resources.”
At Planned Parenthood, they say the writing’s on the wall – in more ways than one.
“No matter if abortion access is legal or not,” Daniel said. “People will still have abortions and it will be very dangerous for women.”
Planned Parenthood has been ramping up efforts to help women go out of state to get abortions, though they say that it is costly and not an option for everyone.