Missouri’s sole abortion clinic is set to close on May 31, making the midwestern state the first in America without a functioning abortion clinic since Roe v Wade was decided in 1973.

The closure would occur just a week after Missouri governor Mike Parson, a Republican, signed a law banning abortion at eight weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions only for medical emergencies.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services notified the Planned Parenthood clinic on May 20 that its license would not be renewed without resolving three issues.

Two days later, Planned Parenthood said that it would comply with two of the three new requirements: adjusting who at the clinic provided state-mandated counselling, and adding an additional pelvic exam for abortion patients.

They noted that they would only give the additional pelvic exam for surgical abortion patients, since the same exam for pill-administered abortions is medically unnecessary.

"When I say an unnecessary pelvic exam what I mean is that the state is forcing me to put my fingers in somebody's vagina when it is totally medically irrelevant," Dr Colleen McNicholas, a Planned Parenthood physician in St Louis, told CBS News.

"That is really bordering on harassment,” she continued. “I am really proud of our clinicians for taking a stand and saying you know we just won't do that to patients."

The third requirement introduced by the state, however, could not find a compromise.

According to Planned Parenthood, the health department said it was investigating "deficient practices," would need to interview seven physicians who provide care at the clinic.

Planned Parenthood said it could offer interviews only with the two physicians, who are employs of the national organisation. The remaining physicians provide services at the facility but aren't employed by Planned Parenthood, and have not agreed to be interviewed.

Missouri is one of six states in the US with only one abortion clinic; the closure would make it the only one without any.

According to NPR, Planned Parenthood will file a lawsuit Tuesday asking for a restraining order to prevent its St. Louis clinic from being forced to stop providing abortions the license expires.