Accessing Abortion in a Post-Roe World
by Vann Jones
Background
Abortion rights and legislation have been in the headlines on practically every news channel for months now. As of June 24th, 2022, the United States Supreme Court officially overturned the precedents set in Roe v Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood of Pennsylvania which established the right to abortion at a federal level. At the time of the publication of this article, seventeen states have banned or mostly banned abortion (UT, AZ, SD, TX, OK, WI, MO, LA, AR, MS, AL, GA, TN, KY, OH, WV, SC), four states will ban abortion imminently (ID, WY, ND, IN), and one state will likely ban abortion (IA). There are twenty states where abortion is legal and expected to remain protected (CA, OR, AK, HI, WA, NV, CO, NM, MN, IL, MD, DE, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH, ME), and six states which have blocked the bans within their courts (UT, WY, ND, MI, SC, WV).
Many news outlets have addressed abortion access from the stance of women’s rights, which alienates transgender individuals and may make them feel more discouraged from accessing abortion services. Many people don’t realize that transgender individuals have the capacity to become pregnant, let alone seek abortion. In 2017, a collection of data from all known abortion-providing facilities in the United States estimated that there were between 462 and 530 transgender and nonbinary abortion patients nationwide, though this is expected to be an underestimate since not all providers collect data on patients’ gender identity. This is a substantial number of individuals seeking abortion services, however it is a sad but common occurrence for transgender people to feel nervous or uncomfortable in the pursual of any reproductive health care procedure and to avoid seeking help when it comes to abortion and beyond.
Though every clinic is different, and many have proven to be absolutely outstanding in their care and treatment of the transgender community, we have all heard tales of caution from those who have received less than fortunate treatment from health care professionals. Transgender people are often subjected to misgendering, unnecessary medical questioning, examinations, or even assault on the part of providers. Clinics can be highly gendered as exclusively feminine spaces, with decorations and literature that excludes any possibility of men or gender nonconforming people becoming pregnant, and some clinics going as far as to only have women’s restrooms. In fact, in a 2019 survey of 67 transgender, non binary, and gender non-conforming individuals who have had abortions, “respondents most frequently recommended that clinics adopt gender-neutral intake forms that are gender and sexual orientation affirming and that the staff use gender-neutral language. Other recommendations were related to specific ideas for increasing the availability of affirming abortion care and increasing patient privacy within and outside of abortion facilities.” These factors all go into making transgender individuals feel more welcome, and more likely to seek out health care from professionals.
Though the world of abortion services can be a difficult one to navigate for anyone, we have some helpful resources and advice for transgender people beginning this process.
Accessing Resources
If you are unsure where your nearest abortion clinic is, The National Network Of Abortion Funds hosts a list of clinics that you can contact. If you are unsure of the legal status of abortion within your state, or you are in need of any abortion-related legal assistance, The Repro Legal Helpline is a free, confidential helpline where you can get legal information or advice about self-managed abortion, young people's access to abortion or judicial bypass, and referrals to local resources. If you are seeking abortion pills, Plan C’s website provides a guide on how you can obtain them in your state. A cursory glance at these websites showed them to be trans inclusive, though discretion is advised.
If you are living in a state where abortion is illegal or at risk of becoming illegal, we have prepared a list of abortion funds for you. While no queer or trans-specific abortion funds exist currently, these websites have proven to be inclusive in their language in regards to transgender identity. The National Network of Abortion Funds hosts a masterlist of abortion funds across the country, but they may include gendered language which can be uncomfortable for some individuals. It is wise to apply to multiple funds at once, as some will only cover certain financial aspects of abortion such as lodging and travel, but not necessarily the procedure itself.
The Northwest Abortion Access Fund, serving Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska
Alabama Cohosh Collaborative, serving Alabama
Yellowhammer Fund, serving Alabama, Mississippii, and the Deep South
Access Reproductive Care, Southeast, serving Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee
Midwest Access Coalition, serving Illinois Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
Florida Access Network, serving Florida
Hoosier Abortion Fund, serving Indiana
Kentucky Health Justice Network, serving Kentucky
New Orleans Abortion Fund- serving Louisiana and surrounding states
Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Justice Fund, serving Mississippi
Susan Wicklund Fund, serving Montana
Carolina Abortion Fund, serving North and South Carolina
Preterm, serving Ohio
Roe Fund, serving Oklahoma
Western Pennsylvania Fund for Choice, serving Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia
Justice Empowerment Network, serving South Dakota
Lilith Fund, serving Texas
Blue Ridge Abortion Fund, serving Virginia
DC Abortion Fund, serving D.C., Virginia, and Maryland
New River Abortion Access Fund, serving Virginia
Holler Health Justice, serving West Virginia
Chelsea’s Fund, serving Wyoming
Emotional Care
If you are a transgender person who is experiencing stress about the abortion process, it is important to take care of yourself. Navigating an abortion during this time can be overwhelming, and finding ways to ask for help and recieve support can take some pressure off of you. To begin, find a friend whom you trust with a background understanding of your situation and identity. You can have this friend call your nearest clinic ahead of time and ask if they are familiar with the needs of trangender patients, or if they have measures in place to be as inclusive and respectful of people’s gender identities as possible. You can also make a plan to have your friend attend your appointment with you for emotional support, either in person or through Zoom, Facetime, or phone call if there are capacity restrictions due to COVID. If your friend attends your appointment with you in person, discuss your boundaries with your friend ahead of time: Do you want your friend to correct staff if they misgender or deadname you? How can your friend show up for you in other ways?
If you’d rather not have a friend with you, there are other ways to stay calm while in the clinic waiting room. Consider bringing headphones in order to listen to music, or bring a book to read while waiting. You may also consider bringing essential oils, or even a lotion that smells really good to you! Aromatherapy can reduce stress, as well as encourage deep breathing which is good for anxiety. Mindful breathing practices in general are a good way to stay calm and pass the time. And if you’re still worried about your anxiety, know that it is common for abortion providers to administer Xanax before the procedure.
If you are in need of additional support or someone to talk to, the Cascades Abortion Support Collective is an Oregon-based group of volunteers who offer free, confidential abortion and reproductive health care support. You can call or text their warm-line and they will get back to you within 24 hours. Another great service which offers nonjudgmental after-abortion support is Exhale. They are available to text in the United States and Canada at 617-749-2948, Weekdays 3 p.m. – 9 p.m, Saturdays 1 p.m. – 9 p.m, and Sundays 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. (U.S. Pacific Time). These services’ websites have been reviewed for trans-inclusive language, yet discretion is advised.
If you are having a mental health crisis and are seeking assistance, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ people ages 13-24. Additionally, the GLBT Hotline provides telephone, online private one-to-one chat and email peer-support, as well as information and local resources across the United States. If you are at serious risk of harming yourself or others, please contact 911.