Inside a nondescript office park, behind bulletproof doors, lies one of only five clinics in the U.S. that provides some of the rarest and most debated abortion services.
“Women come here desperate,” says Dr. Warren Hern, who has led the Boulder Abortion Clinic since 1975. He describes patients ranging from a 12-year-old impregnated by her stepfather to a 45-year-old who desperately wants a child but faces a life-threatening illness that makes pregnancy impossible.
Hern and his team focus on second- and third-trimester abortions, a contentious practice that fuels intense political debates. Opponents argue that terminating a pregnancy after fetal viability—around 24 weeks—is too late. Recently, former President Donald Trump expressed discomfort with later-term abortions, citing misinformation about the timing and legality of such procedures during debates and interviews.
In truth, late-term abortions are rare, comprising only about 1% of all abortions, with most occurring before nine weeks. Hern clarifies that he does not perform abortions in the eighth or ninth month, and such procedures would only happen in extreme medical emergencies within a hospital.
Due to restrictive abortion laws, Hern says he now sees more women facing life-threatening health conditions, many traveling from states with stringent bans. Hern’s clinic treated patients with complex cases, including severe fetal anomalies and pregnancies resulting from abuse.
Hern reads a heartfelt letter from a Texas couple who traveled to his clinic after receiving devastating news at 24 weeks that their baby had a severe anomaly. In Texas, abortion is heavily restricted, forcing the couple to make the difficult journey. They expressed profound gratitude for the compassionate care they received.
Another patient, Willow, struggled to access care due to delays at a crisis pregnancy center and long wait times at other clinics. She was eventually referred to Hern’s clinic, highlighting the difficulties many face in post-Roe America, where restrictions create dangerous and traumatic delays.
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, late-term abortions are becoming more common as patients encounter increased barriers to timely care. Hern’s clinic regularly faces security threats, and he remains a “marked man” due to his work. Despite ongoing threats and challenges, Hern and his team remain dedicated, believing that providing this care is essential for women’s health and freedom.
“Abortion is essential healthcare,” says one of Hern’s patients, underscoring the profound impact restrictive laws have on real families facing unthinkable choices. Hern, at 86, vows to continue his work, knowing that the health, lives, and freedoms of women are at stake.