5 Ways to Show Love for People Seeking Abortion Care

 

The decisions around whether, when, or how we become a parent are some of the most important life decisions we make. Chances are someone you love has needed or will need an abortion one day, and they deserve support and care, not judgment or punishment.

 

When politicians ban abortion care, it affects us all, wherever we live. The impact of abortion bans falls hardest on those who already face unequal barriers to health care, especially Black and Brown people, young people, and LGBTQ+ folks. Pregnant people navigating the post-Roe abortion access landscape need unconditional love and support from their families, providers, and communities.

 

Here are five ways to show love for people seeking abortion care:

  1. Normalize talking about abortion.
    Abortion is okay! Abortion is safe and common. Saying “abortion” instead of other euphemisms helps reduce stigma (and people notice if you intentionally avoid saying the word).Tip for professionals: We’ve heard from many providers that they don’t want to offend their clients by mentioning abortion, but research shows it isn’t offensive. By being courageous enough to bring up abortion first, you relieve your clients of that burden and demonstrate that they can trust you to provide the unbiased counseling and referrals they need. Our Client Experience Study found that above all, pregnant people want to feel listened to, supported, and trusted with the information on all their options, including abortion.

 

  1. Read people’s abortion stories.
    Real abortion stories from real people have the power to change minds. Abortion storytelling offers new perspectives, challenges prejudices, and influences the ways we think about issues. For example, organizations like We Testify invest in abortion storytellers to elevate their voices and expertise, particularly those of color, those from rural and conservative communities, those who are queer-identified, those with varying abilities and citizenship statuses, and those who needed support when navigating barriers while accessing abortion care.

 

  1. Know how to connect abortion seekers to affirming care.
    ‘Pregnancy resource centers’ or ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ (CPCs) are fake clinics that do not provide affirming care for people seeking abortions. Instead, get to know the actual abortion resources nearest to you. AbortionFinder’s state-by-state guide and INeedAnA are both comprehensive and vetted tools for abortion seekers, available in English and Spanish.Tip for professionals: Provide’s Best Practice Guide for All-Options Pregnancy Counseling is a new resource  developed by a team of experts that outlines the key steps for all-options pregnancy counseling. You and your organization can use this resource to improve your practice in conjunction with a Provide training or technical assistance.

 

  1. Register for upcoming Provide trainings.

 

  1. Donate to abortion funds and abortion justice organizations.
    Abortion funds work at the intersection of racial, economic, and reproductive justice to remove financial and logistical barriers to abortion access. These organizations work with clinics to help pay for abortions and assist people having abortions with transportation, childcare, translation, doula services, and lodging. You can make a difference by supporting your local abortion fund. You can also show love by funding abortion justice with a one-time or monthly gift to Provide. Donations of all sizes help us equip healthcare and social service providers throughout the care system to respond to unintended pregnancy with both empathy and expertise, and to make quality abortion referrals in these uncertain times.

 

Everyone plays a role in ensuring equitable abortion access. It will take all of us working together to reclaim our freedom to control our lives and safely care for ourselves, our families, and our communities.

 

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