Abortion facts & healthcare resources

Written by Casey Dawson, Lorelai Yang, Jamie Epstein, Countable News

What's the story?

• An unprecedented leak of the initial draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization indicates that a majority of the Supreme Court justices support overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case guaranteeing a woman’s right to an abortion. While the final ruling will not be seen until June, if the heart of the draft remains unchanged, states will have the power to decide where, when, and if abortion is legal - if at all - in their jurisdiction.
• According to the Guttmacher Institute, at least 23 states have laws or constitutional amendments that could restrict the legal status of abortion upon the reversal of Roe, including 13 states with “trigger laws” that would go into effect immediately. Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, and West Virginia all have specific constitutional amendments that bar the protection of abortion rights. At least sixteen states and the District of Columbia have passed laws explicitly protecting the right for women to obtain an abortion.
• In a first-of-its-kind study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Guttmacher Institute, researchers looked at 150 countries and territories’ unintended pregnancy and abortion rates and found that the proportion of unintended pregnancies that end in abortion increased most in countries with restrictive abortion laws. They advised governments and organizations to provide access to quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception and safe abortion access, as a solution for lowering unintended pregnancy and abortion rates.

In light of the potential rolling back of abortion access this summer, which could leave millions of women with restricted healthcare options, here is a list of resources to learn more about the basic facts on abortion and organizations that seek to increase access to reproductive health services.

Educational Resources

• Amnesty International’s Key Facts on Abortions
• The WHO’s Abortion Fact Sheet provides statistics, policy recommendations, and a database on global abortion policies.
• The Guttmacher Institute provides research and policy analysis on abortion in the U.S.
• Planned Parenthood’s comprehensive guide for unplanned pregnancy.
• Abortion Finder provides a directory of verified abortion service providers in the U.S, as well as state-by-state guides, information on the process of getting an abortion, and how to access abortion pills online.

Organizations

• The National Network of Abortion Funds supports over 80 member organizations throughout the country who provide financial, educational, and practical resources in their area. Find your local fund here. There are multiple organizations in almost every state, as well as international organizations. 
• The Texas Equal Access (TEA) Fund is part of NNAF and helps low-income North, East, and West Texans seeking abortions. It also advocates for abortion access as a fundamental human right. There are a number of other Texas-based organizations, see our article here for a longer list.
• Aid Access provides online consultations for abortion pills by mail worldwide. 
• Hey Jane provides consultations and abortion pills for patients in New York, California, Washington, Illinois, Colorado, or New Mexico.