In January, we celebrate the 51 years of Roe v. Wade, a landmark case that secured federal protections for abortion in the US and symbolized abortion access for nearly 5 decades. However, in June of 2022, the Supreme Court dealt a blow to this legacy with the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, overturning Roe v. Wade. The removal of federal abortion protections has led to an onslaught of restrictive state laws, effectively banning, or significantly impeding access to abortion. Anti-abortion extremists have relentlessly sought to limit abortion access, resulting in 14 states implementing near-total abortion bans, affecting more than 20 million people. The consequences of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision are profound and will resonate for years.
The notion that “Roe was the floor, not the ceiling” urges us to envision a future where reproductive freedom and universal abortion access prevail. Even during Roe v. Wade’s existence, numerous barriers hindered abortion care accessibility – restrictive state laws, geographic constraints, criminalization of abortion seekers, financial burdens, and stigmatization. These obstacles disproportionately affected Black, Indigenous, People of Color, disabled individuals, low-income individuals, LGBTQ+ individuals, and undocumented individuals.
Those seeking abortions deserve more, and our communities deserve more than what Roe v. Wade provided. carafem is committed to delivering beyond expectations. We are dedicated to offering compassionate, high-quality, specialized, and accessible abortion and reproductive health care for everyone.
In the face of Roe v. Wade’s overturning, carafem is reaffirming our commitment to providing compassionate, high-quality abortion care. We are expanding and revolutionizing our care. In anticipation of the future of abortion freedom, here are 51 ways carafem is innovating and expanding reproductive health care and abortion access:
Innovative services
1. Providing In Person Abortion Care in Georgia at our Atlanta health center with a 6 week ban in place
2. Providing In Person care in Illinois in our Chicago area health center and in the D.C. metro area health center through 13 weeks
3. Providing telehealth abortion care video appointments
4. Providing Immediate Evaluation Abortion Care
5. Misoprostol Alone Provision
Continued Geographic Expansion
6. Colorado
7. Connecticut
8. Delaware
9. District of Columbia
10. Illinois
11. Iowa
12. Georgia
13. Maine
14. Maryland
15. Massachusetts
16. Minnesota
17. Nevada
18. New Jersey
19. New Mexico
20. Rhode Island
21. Vermont
22. Virginia
Creative Marketing and Technology
23. Cara, our virtual abortion companion
24. Unapologetically normalizing abortion care through marketing and communications
25. Bold and positive social media presence — Tiktok, X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn
26. Our Pro-Abortion Merchandise Store
Partnering and Participating in Groundbreaking Research
27. Evaluation of a direct to patient telemedicine abortion service in the United States
28. Expansion of a direct-to-patient telemedicine abortion service in the United States and experience during the COVID-19 pandemic
29. Clinical and service delivery implications of omitting ultrasound before medication abortion provided via direct-to-patient telemedicine and mail in the U.S.
30. Exploring potential interest in missed period pills in two US states
31. Medication Abortion with Misoprostol-Only: A Sample Protocol
32. Medication abortion on TikTok: misinformation or reliable resource?
33. Clinical outcomes of medication abortion using misoprostol-only: a retrospective chart review at an abortion provider organization in the United States
34. Acceptability of two no-test telehealth Medication Abortion regimens among patients in the US
Prioritizing Financial Assistance Partnerships
35. National Abortion Federation
36. Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project
37. Access Reproductive Care – Southeast
38. Yellowhammer Fund
39. The REACH Fund
40. Tampa Bay Abortion Fund
41. Chicago Abortion Fund
42. Iowa Abortion Access Fund
43. Kentucky Health Justice Network
44. A Fund Inc (Kentucky Abortion Fund)
45. Baltimore Abortion Fund
46. DC Abortion Fund
47. New Jersey Abortion Access Fund
48. New River Abortion Access Fund
49. Blue Ridge Abortion Fund
50. Holler Health Justice
51. Working to Accept both Private and Public Insurances, including Medicaid
If you are passionate about joining us in this cause and beyond, we warmly welcome your support. Explore opportunities to get involved or consider making a donation to carafem.
As always, if you or someone you know needs sexual or reproductive health care, give us a call at 1-855-SAY-CARA or access care online at carafem.org.
