Illinois revises abortion data collection, IDPH says, to protect patient privacy

The Illinois Department of Public Health has announced it is revising how it collects and reports data on abortions in Illinois in order to protect the privacy and safety of those who receive abortions and abortion providers. The changes are dictated by recent amendments to Illinois’ Reproductive Health Act. They also come in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that eliminated the constitutional right to abortion in the U.S. and allowed states to restrict access to abortion.

Under the revised system, Illinois is simplifying the type of data it collects from health care providers and what data it shares with the public. The IDPH will be reporting aggregate level data for the total number of abortions provided to Illinois residents and out-of-state residents. It will no longer be reporting abortion numbers for Illinois counties (which were reported only for counties with more than 50 abortions) or by the specific state of out-of-state residents.

IDPH will also be reporting the age ranges of those who receive abortions, the gestational age and the numbers of procedural and medically induced abortions.

The changes are being implemented to ensure that the state is in compliance with recent amendments to Illinois’ Reproductive Health Act in 2019 and earlier this year that were designed to safeguard abortion rights in Illinois.

Illinois abortion data, including newly released data for 2021, can be viewed on IDPH’s website.