“Despite consistent efforts by abortion opponents to block access to abortion care and to create impossible obstacles abortion seekers cannot overcome, abortion care continues to be part of the full spectrum of reproductive health services available for women,” said Gillian Sealy, CEO of Power to Decide, said in a press release. “As such, the new Abortion Finder was designed to mitigate some of these challenges by helping people locate the nearest abortion clinic and access information to help them prepare for their appointment.”
- Kathaleen Pittman, Kathaleen Pittman is the administrator at Hope Medical Group for Women, one of the few clinics that perform abortions in Louisiana
While abortion is legal in all 50 states, it's harder to get one in a state like Louisiana than it is in one like New York. Kathaleen Pittman, administrator at Hope Medical Group for Women, one of three clinics that perform abortions in Louisiana, explains that abortion access is incredibly important.
“An unplanned pregnancy for so many is just simply a crisis,” says Pittman. “The majority of women we see here are poor—70 percent of the families we work with are at or below the federal poverty level. Women of means are always going to be able to access abortion care. Hop a flight, hop in a car, go where you need to go. For so many women in Louisiana that is simply not the case."
While barriers may be in place, AbortionFinder.org makes finding your options a bit easier. It features more than 750 trusted and verified abortion service providers in the United States. To find providers near you, you input your location, age, and the first day of your last period. You'll also learn relevant information about how state laws may impact your ability to get an abortion to find abortion services near you and to get relevant information to help you prepare for your appointment.
This tool was created through partnerships with reproductive and sexual health organizations including the National Abortion Federation, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health. It includes independent providers as well as providers affiliated with Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation, and the Abortion Care Network.
When I put in my zip code in Queens, New York, the site points me to 50 nearby options. There's a bar at the top that gives an overview of state laws, Each listing shows the provider name, address, phone number, and whether you can get the abortion pill, an abortion procedure, or both. For each, it shares how far along in your pregnancy you can be to be eligible. When you click "view more" you'll also see what other services this provider offers, from birth control prescription to sexually transmitted infection testing.
The site also shares information on what to expect when you take the abortion pill or get the procedure and how to decide which option is best for you. There's also an FAQ section, answering everything from "Is aboriton safe?" to "What can you do to prepare for an abortion procedure?"
Having access to abortions is a human right, and for many, being able to have that choice is precious.
“It has only been 47 years since abortion was made legally available nationwide,” says Sealy. “In that time, women’s advancements have been significant, but efforts to restrict access make abortion care fragile and services inequitable. We live in a time when resources, such as the new Abortion Finder, are critical to helping people access reproductive health care."
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