Independent Abortion Care Providers Play Essential Role As The Future Of Abortion Care Remains at Risk

USA - English

• USA - English

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As the threat to Roe v. Wade looms and the power to outlaw or severely restrict abortion could potentially be shifted to individual states, the second annual Communities Need Clinics report released today by the Abortion Care Network demonstrates how critical independent abortion care providers are to ensuring women in the United States are able to get the care they need when they need it.

"Independent abortion providers continue to play a unique role: they serve the majority of people who get abortions in the U.S., they often provide care that no one else offers, and in places with no other providers," said Nikki Madsen, Executive Director of the Abortion Care Network. "With the future of legal abortion at unprecedented risk, it is more important now than ever before that independent providers keep their doors open."

Key findings in the Communities Need Clinics report show the unique and essential role independent providers play in ensuring quality, affordable abortion care:

• The majority of people who have abortions—60 percent—receive care at an independent abortion clinic.
• In parts of the country, independent clinics are the only places people can get abortion care.
• Six states have only one abortion clinic, and independent abortion care providers operate the last clinic in four of those states—Kentucky, Mississippi, North Dakota, West Virginia.
• In Wyoming and Louisiana, the only abortion clinics remaining are independent.
• Without independent clinics, abortion care in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Utah would be limited to medication abortion within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
• While states place varying limits on how far into pregnancy a woman can access abortion, independent providers make abortion as a pregnancy progresses a reality in the United States.
• The total number of independent clinics in the United States has decreased by 28 percent since 2012.

Independent abortion providers often operate clinics in some of the hostile states for abortion care, many of which are poised to outlaw or further restrict abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned or gutted.

"I have seen for too long how the abortion restrictions passed by anti-abortion politicians force clinics to close and push abortion out of reach for Alabama women," said Yashica Robinson, an OB/GYN abortion provider in Alabama. "In the face of an uncertain future for abortion in both Alabama and across the country, independent abortion providers will remain steadfast in our dedication to serve our patients and be there for our communities." 

"With abortion poised to be outlawed in our state should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, it is more critical now than ever that our clinic continues to provide quality, compassionate care to West Virginia women," said Sharon Lewis, Executive Director of Women's Health Center of West Virginia. "For the past two years, we have been the only option for patients seeking abortion care in our state and we remain committed to them no matter how dire the future may seem."

"For too long, anti-abortion politicians have passed restrictions that force patients to go great lengths to get abortion care, sometimes pushing them further into pregnancy. People put in these difficult situations would have nowhere to turn were it not for independent abortion clinics," said Gabrielle Goodrick, physician and clinic owner of Camelback Family Planning in Arizona.

The report is available here.

Abortion Care Network

The Abortion Care Network (ACN) is the national association for independent, community-based abortion care providers and their allies. Their work endeavors to ensure the rights of all people to experience respectful, dignified abortion care.
http://www.facebook.com/abortioncarenetwork or http://www.abortioncarenetwork.org

SOURCE Abortion Care Network

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https://abortioncarenetwork.org