Last week (September 10), Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit challenging two state abortion restrictions that it argues are medically unnecessary and violate the state constitution’s guarantee of personal liberty and bodily autonomy. The lawsuit challenges two Wisconsin laws requiring that:
- Only physicians can provide abortion care (in contrast to the 24 states that permit advanced practice clinicians to provide abortion care).
- Patients must make two trips to a health clinic for abortion care, one appointment for counseling and to obtain patient consent, and another at least 24 hours later to receive care (in contrast to the majority of states in which abortion care can be obtained in one in-person visit or via telehealth).
The lawsuit asks the court to declare that these restrictions violate the Wisconsin Constitution, particularly the fundamental rights of patients and providers.
Research evidence shows that these restrictions are medically unnecessary, delay abortion care, and impose financial, logistical, and personal burdens on patients. Further, overwhelming evidence from studies and guidance from professional associations demonstrate that advanced practice clinicians (such as nurse practitioners, midwives, and physician assistants) can provide abortions as safely as physicians.
CORE will continue to monitor this case to assess its impact on abortion access in Wisconsin and share research that supports evidence-based policy.
Related CORE resources:
- Study details what helps — and hinders — abortion access in Wisconsin after Dobbs
- New data: How and where did Wisconsinites obtain abortion care in 2025?
- The impact of Wisconsin abortion laws: What’s the evidence?
- Impacts of abortion restrictions on pregnant people, their partners, families, and communities
- How the Dobbs decision and state-level abortion restrictions undermine obstetric care and reproductive health in Wisconsin