Abortion & COVID-19: April Update

Wondering what’s been going on for the last month? Here are some updates on how COVID-19 has been continuing to impact abortion care:

What has it been like for patients to access abortion care?

• The Brutal Reality of Getting an Abortion During a Pandemic

  Glamour | Jennifer H. | April 3, 2020

  In this article, one woman shares the challenges she faced in accessing abortion care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• When the Abortion Clinic Is Open, but You Have No Way to Get There

  Rewire | Lauren Young | April 6, 2020

  During the COVID-19 pandemic, travel has been discouraged due to the risk of disease transmission. However, as abortion restrictions increase, so does the distance needed to be travelled for people to access abortion care. This articles discusses some of these challenges.

• The Struggle for Abortion Access During the Coronavirus Pandemic

  Marie Claire | Danielle Campoamor | April 21, 2020

  In Texas, COVID-19 has been used as a reason to further restrict access to abortion care. This piece highlights the challenges these bans create by telling the story of one Texan seeking abortion care.

As always, we need to keep in mind that abortion bans as well as healthcare disparities disproportionately impact marginalized communities and this pandemic is no exception:

• Your Job Is Deemed Essential, But Your Abortion Is Not: Black Low-Wage Women In Texas Are Being Robbed Of Their Humanity

  Essence | Marsha Jones & Alexis McGill Johnson | April 20, 2020

Wondering how protestors outside clinics have responded to social distancing guidelines?

• Anti-Abortion Protesters not Exempt from Duty to Practice Social Distancing

  Medium | Reverend Katherine Hancock | April 10, 2020

What do providers have to say about it?

• What It’s Like to Provide Abortion Care During a Global Pandemic

  Vogue | Danielle Campoamor | April 7, 2020

• Correcting the Record on Abortion During COVID-19: A Q&A With Dr. Erin King

  Rewire | Regina Mahone | April 21, 2020

Which states have enacted bans and what’s the status of those bans?

• Every State That’s Tried to Ban Abortion Over the Coronavirus

  The Cut | Hannah Gold and Claire Lampen | April 14, 2020

• Texas Allows Abortions to Resume During Coronavirus Pandemic

  New York Times | Sabrina Tavernise | April 22, 2020

And in case anyone was still confused as to why abortion care is essential, the New England Journal of Medicine chimed in by publishing this excellent piece:

• Abortion during the Covid-19 Pandemic — Ensuring Access to an Essential Health Service

  New England Journal of Medicine | Michelle J. Bayefsky, Deborah Bartz, and Katie L. Watson | April 9, 2020