Dr. Warren Hern closes Boulder Abortion Clinic after 50 years

The Boulder Abortion Clinic one of the relatively limited options for third-trimester pregnancy terminations and a frequent target of anti-abortion demonstrators has closed after years Dr Warren Hern the clinic s outspoken director posted a message on the clinic s website stating that he had demanded to step away from full-time practice for a few time When I have a individual I can t do anything else Her safety and well-being is my priority the message explained I must now leave this sacred commitment to others Hern s staff on Wednesday certified the clinic s closure but he could not be right now reached for comment Most of states have a limit on how far into pregnancy doctors can perform an abortion Colorado is one of nine states without a limit according to the Guttmacher Institute A ballot initiative to add a -week limit in failed with of voters rejecting it Third-trimester abortions account for a small percentage of all terminations Of the abortions in Colorado in the most of current year with details happened at eight weeks or earlier The Colorado Department of Constituents Fitness and Ecosystem informed abortions or just under of the total at weeks or later Related Articles Why a NY woman came to Colorado for a -week abortion Boulder abortion medical professional blasts despicable congressional probe Wash man indicted for threats to hurt Boulder healthcare provider s family Hern commented his procedure if he determined it was safer for the woman to end the pregnancy than to continue carrying it was to stop the fetus s heart with an injection The woman would then deliver the fetus as if she d had a stillbirth Particular patients traveled to see Hern from as far as the East Coast Australia and Europe after discovering severe birth defects late in their pregnancies Women at average hazard generally receive an ultrasound to check for anomalies weeks into a roughly -week pregnancy As one of the relatively sparse places that perform third-trimester abortions the clinic became a regular target for mostly peaceful but sometimes violent opposition to abortion It had bullet-resistant windows since after a gunman fired five shots into the clinic This is a evolving story and will be updated Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get wellness news sent straight to your inbox