After 50 years of performing late-term abortions in Colorado, Dr. Warren Hern’s Boulder Abortion Clinic has closed its doors, leaving a significant gap in specialized reproductive healthcare that few facilities in America provide.
Quick Takes
- The Boulder Abortion Clinic, founded by Dr. Warren Hern in 1975, has closed after 50 years of operation due to financial difficulties.
- Dr. Hern, now 87, was one of the few physicians in America who openly performed abortions after 28 weeks gestation, sometimes up to 32 weeks.
- Financial challenges including the $10,000 cost of late-term procedures, decreasing donations, and inadequate insurance coverage contributed to the closure.
- Colorado remains one of nine states with no gestational limits on abortion, with a recent ballot measure enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution.
- Fewer than 20 clinics nationwide now perform abortions after 24 weeks, further limiting access to late-term procedures.
End of an Era for Controversial Clinic
The Boulder Abortion Clinic in Colorado has ceased operations after five decades of providing abortion services, including controversial late-term procedures. Founded by Dr. Warren Hern in 1975, just two years after the Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion nationwide, the clinic was one of the few facilities in the United States that openly advertised third-trimester abortion services. A notice on the clinic’s website confirmed the closure, stating, “After more than 50 years… we have closed and have stopped scheduling patients.”
Dr. Hern, now 87, has been unable to find a successor to continue his specialized practice. Throughout his career, he maintained that late-term abortions were performed only in serious cases rather than on demand, though he acknowledged performing procedures for various reasons including fetal anomalies and, in some instances, sex selection. The clinic’s closure represents a significant reduction in the already limited availability of facilities providing abortions beyond 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Financial Struggles and Operational Challenges
Financial instability ultimately forced the clinic’s closure despite continued demand for its services. The approximate $10,000 cost of late-term abortion procedures created significant barriers for many women seeking care, while a decline in personal donations further strained the clinic’s resources. Insurance coverage for such procedures remained insufficient, contributing to the unsustainable financial situation that Hern cited as a primary reason for shutting down operations.
“Although I love my work, I have wanted for years to be free from the operating room and the daily cares of a private medical practice,” Hern wrote in his statement about the facility’s closure, adding that while he must “leave this sacred commitment to others,” he is still “committed to reproductive freedom [sic] for women” and “will find other ways to support that.” stated Dr. Hern.
Throughout much of its existence, the Boulder Abortion Clinic operated with Dr. Hern as the sole physician performing abortions at advanced gestational ages. His specialized training and willingness to provide these controversial services made the practice unique, but also created succession challenges as he reached advanced age. The technical complexity and controversial nature of late-term abortion procedures have made finding qualified practitioners willing to continue such work increasingly difficult.
Implications for Abortion Access Nationwide
While Colorado remains one of nine states plus Washington, DC with no gestational limits on abortion access, the closure of the Boulder clinic reduces the practical availability of late-term procedures. A recent ballot measure has further cemented abortion rights in the Colorado state constitution, but the specialized nature of late-term procedures means legal access doesn’t necessarily translate to available services. With fewer than 20 clinics nationwide performing abortions after 24 weeks, women seeking such procedures now face even more limited options.
“I am not an abortion-dispensing machine. I’m a physician, and there are things I will do and things I will not,” he told The New Yorker last year.” – expressed Hern.
The closure highlights ongoing tensions in the abortion debate, particularly concerning later-term procedures. Pro-life organizations like Oregon Right to Life have celebrated the clinic’s closure, reaffirming their position against abortion at any stage of pregnancy. Meanwhile, abortion rights advocates express concern about the further reduction in specialized reproductive healthcare options. Late-term abortions represent a small percentage of total abortion procedures but remain a flashpoint in the national conversation about reproductive rights and restrictions.
Sources:
- Notorious Late-Term Colorado Abortion Facility Run by Warren Hern Closes After 50 Years
- Timeline of Attacks on Abortion: 2009–2021
- Colorado Late-Term Abortion Clinic Closes After 50 Years
