How To Access Abortion Healthcare From Home
Considering the current attack on reproductive rights for women, it’s crucial that we be as well-informed as possible. Although the government has forced us to play an anti-oppression Whac-A-Mole — which we seem to be losing at the moment — new, creative options for women continue to pop up too.
If we can thank the COVID-19 pandemic for anything, it’s the rise of remote options, not only for work and school, but also for medical consultations and even treatments.
The pandemic was also directly responsible for the suspension of the FDA restriction that limited the mailing of abortion pills after telehealth appointments. This affords women the choice of meeting with a health care professional online, having abortion pills mailed to them and being able to facilitate their own safe, private and comfortable at-home abortion instead of surgery. Generally speaking, these pills are safe to use up until the 10-week mark, but always consult with a trained professional.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, 32 states allow the use of abortion pills, but 19 of them require the physician to be present at the time the pill is taken, which leaves 13 states in which you can conveniently and legally have your abortion pills mailed to you.
Planned Parenthood offers nine centers across the nation where you can request a telehealth visit and then have the abortion pills mailed to you. Planned Parenthood emphasizes the safety of the abortion pill process, which requires two separate doses of mifepristone and misoprostol, both approved by the FDA 20 years ago.
Plan C is another excellent resource that aids women in making the best decisions for themselves and their reproductive health. They provide a comprehensive account of all necessary considerations, from where you can get abortion pills to how you can get them without a prescription and what you should expect once you take them. Founders Elisa Wells and Francine Coeytaux were part of the team that created Plan B, and are now striving to help others beyond Plan B’s 72-hour window.
If you’d like to speak to someone confidentially, the M+A Hotline is led by pro-choice doctors who can provide support in self-managing your abortion. Contact them via phone call or text and they’ll get back to you within the hour to answer any questions you may have. Aid Access is another great resource. An ally of the LGBTQ+ community, they offer abortion pills via mail in the states that allow it, as well as legal loopholes in the states that don’t.
Finally, I Need An A approaches at-home abortions with a speedy and efficient search interface. First, they ask you for pertinent but confidential details. Next, they show you to the best options in your area. Last, they ask you to pick what questions you’re most nervous about so that they can answer them for you. At the very bottom, when you’re done, they provide a link to an archive of other people’s abortion experiences in an effort to further soothe your nerves and explain what you should expect.
They write, “The most important thing to know: You’re not alone.” And guess what? They’re right. You’re not.
