Advocates said that in spite of the Supreme Court’s action, Congress could still codify the right to abortion through legislation like the Women’s Health Protection Act, which the Senate failed to pass in May. In addition to pushing for federal protections for abortion, Marzouk said, people should also call on lawmakers to pass the EACH Act, which would lift a long-standing provision banning the use of federal funds, like Medicaid, for abortions. Abortion rights supporters should also focus on getting rid of laws that require parental involvement in a minor’s decision to have an abortion, she said. Currently, 37 states have such laws on the books, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
“Most young people do involve parents in their decision-making and in their abortion experiences, but there are multiple cases where that is not a reality for young people for many many different reasons,” she said. “Requiring that adds a huge barrier.”
And yes, on Nov. 8 — and every other Election Day — vote for leaders who support abortion rights.
“In 2022, there is no gray area. Either electeds and people that want to represent us … have fought for expanding abortion rights or they have not,” Robinson said. “We’ve got to hold folks accountable and vote accordingly.”
Educate yourself and share information about at-home abortions with medication
Advocates also emphasized that people educate themselves about self-managing abortions at home with medications. Medication abortion, a nonsurgical procedure that involves taking a combination of prescription medications to end a pregnancy of up to 11 weeks, has been widely tested and has a high success rate.
In 2020, medication abortions accounted for more than half of all abortions in the US, according to the Guttmacher Institute; with states outlawing surgical abortions, more people are expected to terminate pregnancy this way. The FDA allows healthcare providers to send the pills to patients by mail, but it can be legally risky depending on where you live, as some states work to restrict how the medications are dispensed.
“Sharing information about how people can safely and effectively end their pregnancies on their own terms is going to be very important,” Marzouk said.
Young people can join Youth Abortion Support Collective, a network organized by Advocates for Youth, to get training on how to self-manage abortions. Marzouk said people can also learn more about this option through the Abortion on Our Own Terms website, which includes educational information about the procedure and links to legal resources, like If/When/How’s Repro Legal Helpline.
Urge colleges and universities to provide abortion care on campus
Young people can also fight for abortion access on their college campuses.
“We know that most colleges and universities do not provide access to abortion through their campus health centers, and they should be,” Marzouk said, calling expanding access “a low lift” for higher education institutions.
In 2019, California became the first state to require that public colleges and universities provide medication abortions at no cost to students. Lawmakers in Massachusetts are working to enact a similar law.
The move could help alleviate some of the burden on community clinics that may be overwhelmed with more out-of-state patients, Marzouk said.
“By shifting some of the abortion seekers to be able to obtain abortion access on their campuses, we can alleviate some of that overwhelming need,” she said.
Urge your bosses to support employees who need abortions
Advocates said people should also call on major companies to provide time off and cover costs for employees who need to leave their home state to get abortions.
In the months leading up to the Supreme Court’s decision, several companies, including Yelp, Citigroup, Starbucks, and Amazon, said they would reimburse employees for travel expenses they incur to get abortion care.
“Talk to your boss, talk to your leadership of the place that you work, and ask them to support access, especially for people that live in places where it’s going to be difficult and challenging,” Robinson said.
Rally behind people who are arrested over ending their pregnancies
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/skbaer/how-help-abortion-rights-after-roe
