Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision protecting a woman’s right to a legal abortion, is in serious jeopardy of being overturned.
Who can forget the horror stories about botched DIY wire hanger abortions and women losing their lives because they lacked access to reproductive care?
DIY abortions can become a reality with the Supreme Court’s shift to conservatism. Seven states have introduced restrictive abortion laws that challenge Roe v. Wade, including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Utah, and Ohio.
TheGrio.com cautions that restrictive abortion laws will affect Black women who have the highest rates of abortions.
Alabama’s abortion law is the most extreme. The legislation carries a life sentence of 99 years behind bars for abortionists and pregnant women who seek their services.
Republican-led states Georgia, Ohio, Mississippi, and Kentucky have all passed so-called “heartbeat bills” outlawing abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected.
Missouri’s Senate just passed a heartbeat bill that outlaws all abortions after 8 weeks.
Georgia’s bill threatens to punish women even if they leave the state to get an abortion.
What can you do to help women living in extreme abortion states?
You can donate or volunteer at reproductive rights organizations and clinics in your state.
Fans of the Portland Trail Blazers are doing their part by donating $1 to the Yellowhammer Foundation for each point the team scores against the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. The Yellowhammer Foundation provides free access to three abortion clinics in Alabama.
The following is a list of organizations compiled by Complex.com:
National Network of Abortion Funds provides financial support for women in 38 states who can’t afford an abortion provider.
The Yellowhammer Fund is part of the NNAF network, which provides direct support to women in Alabama.
The Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund, and the Gateway Women’s Access Fund (Missouri) are also part of NNAF’s nationwide network.
Access Reproductive Care is an organization based in Georgia that helps women to access affordable reproductive care in the South, including Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee.
The National Abortion Federation provides education about reproductive options, and helps women access reproductive care across the country, and ensures that clinics remain open.
HuffPost published a list of clinics in each state, which include Jackson Women’s Health Organization in Mississippi, EMW Women’s Surgical Center in Kentucky, A-Z Women’s Center in Nevada, Capital Care Network in Ohio, and Alabama Women’s Center LLC.
Men can also help by volunteering as clinic escorts to safely get women from their cars into abortion clinics or acting as a barrier between them and protesters outside. Call the clinics in your area to inquire about becoming an escort.
Stock photo by Danishkhan/Getty Images
