Controversial Late-Term Abortion Doctor Closes Colorado Clinic After 50 Years

Dr. Warren Hern, one of the most well-known late-term abortion providers in the U.S., has closed his Boulder, Colorado clinic after a career spanning half a century. Hern, who's been at the center of fierce debate for decades, announced that it's time to pass the torch, calling his work a "sacred commitment" to providing safe abortions.

"It has been a privilege to do this work for almost 55 years," Hern stated, reflecting on a career marked by both controversy and dedication. He praised his colleagues for their devotion to high standards of medical care and reproductive freedom.

Though Hern admitted loving his work, he said he’s longed for some freedom from the operating room and the constant demands of running a private medical practice. For anyone who’s ever run a small business—yes, even a clinic like this—hearing that makes total sense.

Hern's clinic, the Boulder Abortion Clinic, was among the rare few in the nation offering late-term abortions, attracting patients nationwide, especially since Colorado is one of only nine states with no restrictions on when an abortion can be performed during pregnancy.

In his writings, Hern has described in detail the medical procedures involved in late-term abortions, including the use of surgical scissors to dismember the fetus. His 1984 book, "Abortion Practice," is explicit about the physical challenges doctors face in these procedures as pregnancies progress, noting that "the fetal tissues become much more cohesive and difficult to dismember" after 21 weeks.

Hern has been a prominent advocate for late-term abortion rights since the 1970s, appearing in major media and, more recently, penning a memoir titled "Abortion in the Age of Unreason." In it, he describes the care taken to ensure procedures were performed safely, including the rather grim task of inspecting tissue after the procedure to ensure nothing was left behind.

After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Hern reported a surge of patients, particularly those further along in pregnancy. The clinic prioritized these more complex cases, often turning away those earlier in gestation. "They’re at the end of the line. They can’t find anyone else to do this," Hern explained, highlighting the desperate situations some patients faced.

Hern’s perspective on abortion is unapologetically forthright. He told The New Yorker, "The basic fact is that if you’re pregnant, you’re at risk of dying from that pregnancy," and maintained, "All abortions are elective, and all abortions are therapeutic."

Whether seen as a trailblazer or a lightning rod, Dr. Hern’s exit marks the end of an era in the abortion debate in America—one that’s far from over. If you thought the drama in Colorado was limited to ski slopes, think again.