Bustle - Faith Leaders Can Support Your Abortion — 3 People Who’ve Been There Explain
"Many people will want to seek religious guidance before having an abortion, just like they would for other life issues. According to a report from the Guttmacher Institute, 62% of people who had abortions in 2014 reported a religious affiliation: 30% identified as Protestant, and 24% identified as Catholic. But despite this, religion has long been used to politicize abortion."
Progress Texas - Texas must do better to protect incarcerated people from COVID-19
"Texas is currently in a state of emergency amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and the safety and health of those experiencing incarceration must be prioritized. Over the years, the population inside Texas county jails has rapidly grown, and many continue to be arrested for non-violent crimes and first-time offenses. The growing population can largely be attributed to the classist framework of the resource-based bail system, which disproportionately affects low-income people and people of color by allowing anyone, no matter how dangerous they are, to be released if they can afford it, while many who are low-risk remain incarcerated until trial.
Progress Texas - Texas groups sue over constitutionality of 7 local anti-abortion bans
"Seven cities in rural Texas — Waskom, Naples, Joaquin, Tenaha, Rusk, Gary and Wells — passed ordinances that not only prohibit abortion providers and advocates from operating in their areas, but label abortion funds and other organizations as “criminal organizations” and ban them from operating in the area.
On behalf of The Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity and Texas Equal Access Fund (TEA Fund), the national ACLU and the ACLU of Texas filed a lawsuit on February 25 against the cities."
On behalf of The Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity and Texas Equal Access Fund (TEA Fund), the national ACLU and the ACLU of Texas filed a lawsuit on February 25 against the cities."
Progress Texas - What are the standards for abortion access while incarcerated in Texas?
"The right to have an abortion should be a normal part of health care when experiencing incarceration, but access doesn’t look the same inside every Texas county jail. Abortion access must be made a priority for all Texans, including the thousands of people affected by incarceration. I’m proud that my local county jail, Travis County Correctional Complex, values the rights of those experiencing incarceration. Other facilities across the state could benefit from using their approach as a model, because everyone deserves the right to access an abortion."
Read more from Paige Alexandria at Progress Texas.
Read more from Paige Alexandria at Progress Texas.
Rewire. News - How to Get an Abortion During the COVID-19 Pandemic
"From securing financial assistance for abortion care to self-managing abortion to using telemedicine, here are ways people can obtain care amid the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic."
Rewire.News - Anti-Choice City Ordinances Are Proliferating. Here’s How a Lawsuit Can Stop Them.
"Across the United States, city councils have approved anti-choice measures since a New Mexico city adopted a resolution in 2019 declaring life begins at conception. Texas was the first state in which town and city councils began passing unenforceable ordinances that not only implied abortion is illegal but also labeled abortion rights organizations and providers as “criminal entities” and cannot operate within city limits. Advocates have said the ordinances are confusing and intimidating, and have spread as officials in some states look to use the COVID-19 outbreak to ban abortion care, creating confusion about abortion access."
Rewire. News - ‘Sadness Beyond Tears’ as COVID-19 Abortion Ban Brings Chaos to Texas Clinics
"People were waiting at abortion clinics across Texas on Tuesday when the state’s COVID-19 abortion ban went back into effect, a day after U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel granted a temporary restraining order against the ban. Conservative judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled Tuesday afternoon that the anti-choice ban would be reinstated, and in less than 24 hours, Texans were again stripped of their right to safely access abortion care."
Rewire.News - Paying for an Abortion Was Already Hard. The COVID-19 Economic Downturn Has Made It Even Harder.
"For people seeking abortion care, the COVID-19 pandemic has made an already difficult situation harder.
In recent weeks, millions have lost their job, and parents are struggling to afford necessary childcare as schools across the United States have closed until further notice. People are faced with abortion costs that, for most, were difficult to afford in the first place. To make matters worse, states like Texas and Oklahoma have classified abortion care as "nonessential" in their COVID-19 response."
In recent weeks, millions have lost their job, and parents are struggling to afford necessary childcare as schools across the United States have closed until further notice. People are faced with abortion costs that, for most, were difficult to afford in the first place. To make matters worse, states like Texas and Oklahoma have classified abortion care as "nonessential" in their COVID-19 response."
Rewire.News - How the Coronavirus Is Affecting Abortion Access in a State Hostile to Abortion Rights
"As abortion providers in Texas, continuing to provide safe reproductive health care amid crisis has always been our top priority. We know the necessity of abortion doesn’t disappear when restrictions are enacted, and the same is true during the coronavirus pandemic.
But Texans are growing concerned they soon won’t be able to access abortion care, and some clinics—including the one where I work—across the state are experiencing an increase in consultations, and abortion funds are hearing from callers who are fearful for the future."
But Texans are growing concerned they soon won’t be able to access abortion care, and some clinics—including the one where I work—across the state are experiencing an increase in consultations, and abortion funds are hearing from callers who are fearful for the future."
Rewire.News - In Coronavirus Funding Talks, Trump’s Anti-Abortion Extremism Is Laid Bare
"Trump would rather stall efforts to mitigate the coronavirus’ impact in order to appease the anti-choice radicals that make up his political base.That tells us he’s fine with gambling with the lives of the disabled, elderly, and immunocompromised communities who are most at risk of developing complications when contracting coronavirus. That tells us that not only does Trump believe a fetus has rights, but he believes those rights matter more than anyone else. That tells us Trump believes it’s acceptable for us to contract or spread the coronavirus as long as people can’t use government funds for abortion care.
I find this both maddening and unacceptable. And I’m not the only one."
I find this both maddening and unacceptable. And I’m not the only one."
Rewire.News - The Harassment We Face as Abortion Storytellers
"The kind of hate and harassment people face after publicly sharing their abortion stories can be difficult to handle and can even be life-threatening. In the June Medical Services v. Russo U.S. Supreme Court case, the state of Louisiana argued that abortion providers don’t have their patients’ best interests in mind, so they shouldn’t be able to advocate for them in court. Instead, the state wants to place undue burden on people who have abortions by requiring us to go to court to defend our constitutional right to health care. Many people elect to keep their stories private out of fear of retaliation and stigma around the procedure, so forcing abortion patients to bring suit on their own behalf lowers the likelihood that anyone will go to court."
Rewire.News - The TikTok Abortion Video Didn’t Actually Show Abortion, but This YouTube Video Did
"A 20-second TikTok video that surfaced last week follows a teenager into a Planned Parenthood clinic before she has a surgical abortion. She’s supported by a friend and fist-pumps while sitting in the waiting area. At the end of the video, the teen is shown in a gown on a medical table next to an ultrasound machine. At no point is any part of the abortion filmed, but one Twitter user criticized the TikTok video as an “abortion celebration,” while anti-choice activists called the video “sick and depraved.”
Rewire.News - ‘If I Don’t Lie, It’s Illegal’: How Forced Counseling Affects Abortion Patients
"Over the past year, I’ve counseled hundreds of people. Although I do provide some state-mandated counseling 24 hours before the procedure, most patients visit me separately on the day of their abortion. It isn’t unusual for people to enter my counseling room with their guard up, viewing it as yet another barrier imposed by the state before they can continue with their health-care decision. In reality, clinics that offer abortion counseling do so in order to provide patient-centered care that considers people’s unique experiences. But patients were confused so often that, eventually, I changed the way I began every interaction."
Rewire.News - Dear Trump: Stop Using Children as Your Anti-Choice Political Prop
"The president has proven he is no ally to the disabled community. In 2017, his proposed budget included significant cuts to services that millions of disabled people need to survive. Trump filed a budget proposal in 2019 from Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos that would have stripped $18 million in funding allocated toward the Special Olympics; his budget request that year also included a $51 million cut to an initiative focused on autism and other developmental disorders.
After an uproar, the administration restored the funding for the Special Olympics within days. And only months later, in a pattern true to the president’s inconsistent temperament, Trump signed a bill allocating $1.8 billion towards research and intervention for autistic people. But that doesn’t erase his many proposals that, according to disability advocates, put the lives of disabled people at risk."
Read more from Paige Alexandria at Rewire.News.
After an uproar, the administration restored the funding for the Special Olympics within days. And only months later, in a pattern true to the president’s inconsistent temperament, Trump signed a bill allocating $1.8 billion towards research and intervention for autistic people. But that doesn’t erase his many proposals that, according to disability advocates, put the lives of disabled people at risk."
Read more from Paige Alexandria at Rewire.News.
Scarleteen - Getting Birth Control May Be Easier Than You Think!
"For some, involving our parents or guardians can prevent us from accessing the healthcare we need entirely. Others may not have a way to involve them even if they would provide support and help. The good news is that certain clinics in the U.S. will allow you to access birth control without parental consent or notification and for free."
Shondaland - Protecting Women's Right to Choose
"Do you like your job? We can help you find something else.” That’s what protestors outside the abortion clinic where I work said to me recently. For the last year, I’ve been an abortion counselor at the same clinic where, at 24, I had my own abortion four years ago.
I’ve always been pro-choice, but it wasn’t until I needed an abortion that I learned our right to have one largely depends on factors like our zip code or how much money we have."
I’ve always been pro-choice, but it wasn’t until I needed an abortion that I learned our right to have one largely depends on factors like our zip code or how much money we have."
VICE - My Patient Asked If She'd Be Sentenced to Death for Having an Abortion
"In April, Texas lawmakers introduced a bill that would have banned abortion and made it possible to impose the death penalty on both providers and patients. While HB896 failed to make it past its initial hearing, its impacts remain. As a counselor at an abortion provider in the state, I’ve unfortunately had to answer questions about whether people who have abortions will get the death penalty.Usually when I’m asked this question, it goes like this: "Will I be sentenced to death for having an abortion if the government finds out I was here?"
VICE - What It’s Like to Get an Abortion in Florida
"Jane Doe, 17, needed an abortion last year as a high school senior in Florida. She was unable to involve her parents due to her family’s cultural beliefs regarding sex, so she relied on some of her other family members and friends for support through the process. (VICE is withholding Doe’s real name because she doesn’t want her parents to know she got an abortion.) Doe also contacted the Jane’s Due Process Text Hotline, which she says helped her learn how to get a judicial bypass in her own state."
Read more from Paige Alexandria at VICE.
Read more from Paige Alexandria at VICE.
TalkPoverty - Laws Aren’t The Only Barrier To Abortion Access. So Is Cost.
"When thinking of abortion access challenges in the United States, waiting periods, mandatory ultrasounds, biased pre-abortion counseling, bans on federal and some state funding, and a dwindling number of independent clinics come to mind. These challenges delay abortion care, increase medical risks, and especially hurt minors. After navigating extreme restrictions and logistical needs to get to the clinic, another problem may arise for some patients: additional fees, which can range from $50-250 (on top of an average cost of $500 for a first trimester abortion), for factors entirely out of the patient’s control, such as having a negative blood type, being over a certain weight, or having a twin pregnancy."