In the year since the Dobbs decision, abortion access has been dramatically impacted, with disproportional effects on abortion seekers who already faced the greatest barriers to accessing health care. Health care providers are critical to support non-judgmental access to the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion care. Here are five things you can do right now to support abortion access:
1. Go to AbortionFinder.org and check your local listings for abortion care
We’ve got the most up-to-date directory of verified abortion care providers nationwide. That means you can enter the zip code where you are and check out what abortion seekers in your community see when they search for in-person and telehealth abortion options (check out this walkthrough to see Abortion Finder in action). If you currently offer abortion care, check your listing and make sure the most updated information is available. You can use the Contact Us link on Abortion Finder to let us know if changes are needed. If you don’t currently offer abortion care in your health center, you can still direct patients to Abortion Finder to learn more about their abortion options and how to get abortion care.
2. Check out abortion funds and other support organizations in your community
You might already be familiar with options in your community for paying for abortion care and practical support organizations offering support such as lodging, childcare, meals, and local and long-distance transportation. For people traveling out of state, support may be available both in your state and the state your patient is traveling to. Abortion Finder’s State-by-state Guides has detailed (and updated) information on any restrictions by state as well as information for abortion seekers on funding and other support and you can check out the National Network of Abortion Funds for a list of national and state abortion funds.
3. Donate to your local abortion fund or volunteer with support organizations in your community
Now that you’ve checked out abortion funds and other support organizations in your community (see #2 above), you can donate to them directly to support abortion access. You can also donate to a fund supporting access in a state facing greater barriers to access to care.
4. Consider adding medication abortion to your practice
Depending on where you live and where you practice, you may be able to add medication abortion to your practice. Primary care providers, including family medicine physicians, internists, pediatricians, and advanced practice clinicians safely and effectively provide early abortion care in their primary care offices. Learn more about why and how you can add medication abortion to your practice.
5. Share anonymous stories of impacts on clinical care
Researchers at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) are collecting de-identified stories of clinical management that has changed since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Through an anonymous survey (IP addresses are not collected) on CarePostRoe.com, health care providers may leave a written narrative or a voice memo describing the case. Their recently released report documents devastating cases of how post-Roe laws are obstructing clinical care.
