In the last several months, a number of states around the country have implemented extreme restrictions on abortion access. As a result, the procedure could essentially be outlawed in Alabama, while Missouri’s only abortion clinic is now in danger of closing. Thankfully, if you’re unclear on how to find an abortion clinic near you, the Abortion Care Network (ACN) has created an easy tool for finding out. All it requires is a text message.
“Don’t be deterred by abortion restrictions,” the network wrote in an Instagram postWednesday. “If you need help finding a clinic near you, text ‘hello’ to 202-883-4620. You will be prompted to enter your ZIP code and will receive a list of the three closest ACN member clinics near you — as well as resources for help paying for care and links to additional clinic directories.”
Don’t be deterred by abortion restrictions: if you need help finding a clinic near you, you can text ‘hello’ to 202 883 4620. You will be prompted to enter your zip code and will receive a list of the three closest clinics near you as well as resources for funding an abortion.
Despite the recent flood of laws, it’s worth remembering that abortion is still legal in all 50 states. It’s true that Alabama’s law bans the procedure in all but life-threatening cases, with no exceptions for rape or incest; however, that law hasn’t yet taken effect, and is currently the subject of a lawsuit by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.
But just because abortion is still legal doesn’t mean it’s widely or practically accessible for all women. In several states, such as Georgia and Ohio, lawmakers have banned abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected. That’s generally at around six weeks into a pregnancy, and yet some women don’t even know they’re pregnant at that stage. Though these bans have been passed, it’s important to remember they aren’t in effect just yet.
BBC Newsnight
“It’s going to leave 1.1 million women of reproductive age in Missouri without being able to access basic reproductive healthcare.”
Alison Dreith, from @HopeClinicWomen – an abortion clinic in Illinois, on the knock-on impact of there being no abortion clinics in Missouri
This is indicative of a broader trend, as the number of abortion clinics has been falling steadily in America for decades. According to CNN, there were 452 abortion clinics nationwide in 1996; that number fell to 381 by 2005, and in 2014, there were only 272.