The Colorado Clinic, known for performing late abortions, has closed after 50 years of operation, as reported by the Associated Press.
“It has become impossible to continue, but closing the clinic is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever made,” said Dr. Warren Hern, the 87-year-old founder, reflecting on the closure of the Boulder Abortion Clinic last month.
The clinic had been one of the rare facilities in the United States performing abortions after the 28-week mark, and for many years, Hern was notably one of the few doctors to offer late-stage abortions.
Financial difficulties led to the clinic’s closure: Hern mentioned that many women found the cost of a late abortion—around $10,000—prohibitive, especially since insurance typically does not cover it. Despite his desire for someone to take over the practice, nobody stepped forward.
“I really had to make decisions based on some pressing circumstances; we just couldn’t continue,” he shared. “It was very painful. I think this is my personal failure.”
Hern has gained attention in various left-leaning media outlets for discussing his late abortion practices. In a detailed interview with The Atlantic published in May 2023, he mentioned that he typically performs abortions up to 32 weeks.
One woman recounted her experience obtaining an abortion from Hern after 35 weeks due to a diagnosis indicating her baby would have severe disabilities. She described the procedure as “euthanasia” and expressed, “I had to let the baby go.”
Hern indicated in the Atlantic that many women seeking late abortions are dealing with circumstances beyond fetal abnormalities.
Related: Media on abortion later in pregnancy when the baby is considered “unwanted.”
“Abortion after a serious medical diagnosis can be easier for some to grasp. However, Hern estimates that at least half, if not more, of the women visiting the clinic haven’t received such diagnoses. He and his team are understanding of various situations.”
The reason for seeking an abortion isn’t particularly significant for Hern. While it’s generally understood that a fetus’s viability is around 24 to 28 weeks, Hern believes that the decision hinges more on the woman’s willingness to continue the pregnancy. He follows the same philosophy with all his patients, assessing whether having an abortion is safer than carrying a pregnancy to term, typically up to about 32 weeks.
He also acknowledged performing two abortions for the purpose of sex selection.
In the past, he performed abortions as early as 15 or 16 weeks when he was still active, even in cases where the fetus had a heartbeat but could not survive outside the womb, according to the report.
Each year, thousands of fetuses are aborted after 21 weeks of pregnancy. While the media tends to depict these cases as rare, late-term abortions represent a small fraction of the total.
For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documented 625,978 legally induced abortions in 2021, with about 1 percent occurring after 21 weeks, translating to over 6,000 late-term abortions. The Guttmacher Institute estimated that more than 1 million abortions were conducted in 2024.
Read more – Report: Abortions increased again in 2024, surpassing 1 million.
There’s a debate on what exactly constitutes a “late abortion.” Some abortion organizations reject the term altogether, arguing that medically, “late-stage” refers to the entire term of pregnancy (41 weeks). The definition varies, but it generally includes abortions performed in the latter half of pregnancy, particularly after around 22 weeks, when a baby could potentially survive outside the womb.
An article in The Atlantic details Hern’s late abortion techniques, stating that “sometimes the fetus is entirely unharmed.”
Nine states and Washington, D.C., have no restrictions on abortion, with states including Alaska, Vermont, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan, Maryland, and New Jersey being highlighted. Under Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling that established a constitutional right to abortion, many states allowed procedures until the point of viability, typically considered to be around 20 to 24 weeks, while some states permitted abortions beyond that under specified health conditions.
Fewer than 20 clinics in the U.S. perform abortions after 24 weeks, as indicated by an AP article referencing the Late Abortion Initiative by Ibis Reproductive Health.
Currently, the initiative lists three clinics in New Mexico, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., providing services at 28 weeks. Additionally, several practitioners in states like Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington will evaluate cases based on physician recommendations and patient circumstances.
