Iowans seeking a medication abortion will now have to see a provider in person, according to a new law that went into effect on July 1.
The law requires that the abortion medications misoprostol and mifepristone be prescribed in person and dispensed at a medical center. It marks the latest restriction state lawmakers have placed on abortion.
Previously, Iowans could obtain abortion medication though the mail following a telehealth appointment with an Iowa provider.
Abortion rights opponents supported the law, saying it will make the process safer for Iowans by requiring in-person monitoring and assessments for abuse and coercion.
"We want them to be educated on the dangers of this drug, and we want them to be overseen by licensed physician in a medical care setting, where they can have a doctor guiding them through this process and providing follow-up care," said Maggie DeWitte, the executive director of Pulse Life Advocates, which opposes abortion.
But abortion rights supporters say the law just adds additional barriers for Iowans to get care.
"It's really tough to coordinate work and childcare and a bunch of different things to go in person to a clinic, and telehealth can alleviate those barriers for some people," Kimya Forouzan, the principal state policy advisor at the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights.
Iowa has three clinics that provide abortions. Two Planned Parenthood clinics in Des Moines and Iowa City and the Emma Goldman Clinic in Iowa City.
However, Planned Parenthood North Central States announced Monday that it plans to close its Iowa City location at the end of July, citing financial concerns and the state's restrictions on abortion.
Ruth Richardson, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, condemned Iowa's new law.
“Patients will still be able to access medication abortion under legal guidelines. But make no mistake: restricting how Iowans access a safe and trusted form of abortion care does nothing to protect patients," she said in a statement.
Though the law requires that Iowans receive the medication in person, they can still order pills through telehealth from a provider who works in states like Illinois or Minnesota that have shield laws, protecting doctors from legal risks when prescribing medication to patients in states with abortion bans.
But this distinction might be confusing to Iowans, Forouzan said.
"We don't know how often patients are aware that that option exists, and how many may still just go forth with an in-person visit because they're trying to get the healthcare that they need as quickly as possible," she said.
In recent years, Iowa has enacted several laws placing restrictions on abortions, including a 24-hour waiting period and mandatory counseling.
In 2024, a law went into effect banning the procedure after "cardiac activity" is detected, which can be as early as six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest, life of the pregnant person and fetal abnormalities.
A recent report from the Guttmacher Institute found the number of abortions in the country remained virtually unchanged from 2024 to 2025, despite efforts from abortion rights opponents to enact new restrictions.
Abortion rights advocates say it's due in part to the decision by the Food and Drug Administration in 2023 under the Biden administration to allow mifepristone to be prescribed through telehealth without an in-person appointment.
The state of Louisiana recently sought to overturn that, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in May that the pill could remain available though telehealth while the case moves through the lower courts.
DeWitte said she's glad the new in-person visit requirement is in place, but said Pulse Life Advocates would like to see mifepristone banned entirely.
"We don't support this drug. It's a dangerous drug. We would like it off the market completely," she said. "But if Iowan women are going to ingest this drug, we want them to be seen in person by a licensed physician in a healthcare setting."
