Reproductive Health Resources Are Being Hidden — Here’s Where to Find Them
Properly, that did not take lengthy: Following Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, attentive customers observed the location reproductiverights.gov had quietly been taken down, together with its assets for reproductive healthcare. Though the location was later mentioned to be introduced again by the Skimm on Jan. 22 (sluggish clap), that’s, clearly, not a everlasting answer.
“Reproductiverights.gov’s content material is accessible — content material can by no means be actually deleted from the web — however the web site itself has not been restored,” says Rebecca Nall, founder and govt director of INeedAnA. “There are in all probability 1000’s of locations the place that URL has been linked to and now the individuals who click on on these hyperlinks can be met with a useless finish except the federal government absolutely restores it.”
The removing of reproductiverights.gov stays a regarding sign for the way forward for reproductive well being, however not all hope is misplaced. “We clearly cannot management what info the administration places out,” says Nicole Cushman, managing director of Charley the abortion bot. “However we will unfold the phrase concerning the many dependable assets which might be out there to find out about abortion choices, and people are nonetheless going sturdy.”
In an effort to maintain sexual and reproductive well being care accessible, we rounded up a few of the greatest assets to maintain readily available . . . and we promise to not take them down. Learn on for expert-recommended choices, together with actionable steps and purple flags to look out for in your pursuit of correct info.
Consultants Featured in This Article:
Rebecca Nall is the founder and govt director of INeedAnA, a corporation that gives correct assets for these in search of abortion care.
Nicole Cushman is an advocate, educator, and managing director of Charley the abortion bot.
Rachel Fey is the vp of Coverage & Strategic Partnerships at Energy to Determine, a useful resource hub for reproductive and sexual healthcare.
Assets For Reproductive Well being
The destiny of reproductiverights.gov would not bode effectively for the remainder of reproductive healthcare. Keep protected and ready with the next 12 assets for sexual and reproductive well being:
- Winx Well being: Winx is a superb useful resource for sexual and vaginal healthcare. Right here, you may store emergency contraception, in addition to at-home testing for being pregnant, UTIs, and ovulation. It’s also possible to discover solutions to health-care FAQs on the corporate’s weblog, “Actual Speak.”
- Viv For Your V: That is your go-to spot for sustainable interval care, together with menstrual discs, menstrual cups, and natural tampons. The Viv weblog is one other good supply for correct details about reproductive and sexual well being.
- Charley: “Charley is a chatbot that’s designed to reply the commonest questions that abortion seekers have after they’re searching for care,” Cushman explains. “Charley has details about each tablets and abortion procedures, and we make referrals to organizations the place they’ll take the subsequent step in pursuing both of these choices.” One other vital level? The corporate makes positive to maintain person info safe (meaning no cookies or monitoring instruments).
- Plan C: This website particularly focuses on sustaining entry to abortion tablets (mifepristone and misoprostol) in each state. “What we have seen is almost all of our customers are coming from states the place abortion is banned or restricted, and so they’re additionally actually displaying a choice for abortion tablets and abortion tablets by mail,” Cushman says, in reference to Charley bot customers. It’s also possible to use Plan C to order tablets forward of time (simply in case) and browse extra about medicine abortions.
- The Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline: “The miscarriage and abortion hotline is a free hotline staffed by docs and different clinicians who’re volunteering their time to offer medical info and help to individuals who is likely to be experiencing a miscarriage or have lately had an abortion,” Cushman says. That features those that could have taken abortion tablets at dwelling. You may name or textual content the helpline at 1-833-246-2632 to search out confidential help inside an hour (simply be certain that to verify the location for his or her actual hours).
- INeedanA: When you’re in search of abortion care, skip Google and head right here. “Constructed by individuals who’ve had abortions, we have got all the things you might want to know together with your closest clinics, native legal guidelines, help organizations, tales, and extra,” Nall says. “For folk in restricted states specifically, we might help you examine the professionals and cons of touring to a different state versus safely ordering tablets on-line so you may entry the perfect abortion for you.”
- YouAlwaysHaveOptions: For a extra complete roundup, this web site lists assets for reproductive healthcare, abortion tablets, monetary and journey help, and useful hotlines.
- Bedsider: Bedsider is designed to make sexual training extra accessible — whether or not you by no means acquired it, or must brush up. It is particularly useful for “studying what strategies of contraception may work greatest for you. Studying about wholesome relationships, STI, testing and prevention,” says Rachel Fey of Energy to Determine. “All these sorts of issues that go into main your greatest life with regards to your sexual and reproductive well being.”
- AbortionFinder: Abortion Finder might help you discover the closest abortion supplier geographically, however it can additionally provide help to search suppliers by state. “Typically individuals do go to the state that is nearest them, however generally individuals go the place they’ve household or pals or help or they’ll get an inexpensive flight,” Fey says. To not point out, AbortionFinder is correct as much as the minute. “The minute a coverage adjustments or a clinic opens, we be sure that’s out there in our database,” Fey says. The identical goes for monetary and logistical help. “So not solely can you discover the place you may go for abortion care, however [also] the place you may be capable of flip for sensible and logistical help like journey and lodging and funding.”
- Energy to Determine: This can be a nice useful resource for high-quality, correct info on reproductive and sexual healthcare. Right here, you will discover platforms like Bedsider and AbortionFinder, plus further methods to become involved within the struggle for reproductive rights.
- AbortionPolicyAPI: This useful resource is up to date day by day by abortion coverage consultants monitoring the entire ever-changing legal guidelines, says Cushman. You may entry the software by way of Charley — the place the knowledge will get mechanically up to date as soon as a regulation or coverage adjustments — however you too can request entry straight through the AbortionPolicyAPI web site. That manner, you will get probably the most “correct particulars concerning the state of affairs, the place they reside and what their nearest clinic is likely to be,” Cushman says.
- Euki: Euki is a interval monitoring app that does not observe you. That manner you may nonetheless preserve management over your personal sexual and reproductive healthcare . . . minus the concern of your knowledge getting used for potential criminalization.
Motion Objects
Past these on-line assets, our consultants additionally had just a few suggestions for conserving your self protected on the reproductive healthcare entrance. Listed below are a few of their recommended motion gadgets.
- Defending your private knowledge: “We all know that [for] nearly all of abortion seekers, the place that they begin is an easy Google search, and people sorts of issues can go away digital traces,” Cushman says. To be further safe, it’s possible you’ll think about using a VPN, incognito or personal shopping modes, clearing your browser historical past, clearing cookies, or utilizing encrypted communication platforms like Sign. Nonetheless, these steps do not all the time really feel sensible for some individuals. That is why “at Charley, we have taken the onus on us to be sure that our bot and our web site are safe, and are not going to position individuals at additional danger of surveillance and criminalization,” Cushman says.
- Spreading the phrase: When you discover a supply of fine info, share it together with your group. “While you get good info from a website like Bedside or AbortionFinder, sharing it together with your family and friends is one actually vital manner to assist,” Fey says. We are inclined to belief the individuals in our private networks, and with entry to reproductive healthcare being threatened, it’s vital to unfold correct info and assets.
- Deleting your interval tracker: “I typically would inform my pals, particularly in the event that they’re residing in banned states, do not obtain interval trackers and issues like that,” Fey says. You may additionally contemplate switching to an app like Euki: a interval tracker with no third-party monitoring, and accessible knowledge deletion.
- Stocking up: “Having issues like emergency contraception readily available is a superb thought,” Fey says. In actual fact, some individuals could have been stocking up on abortion tablets for months now. Simply keep in mind that all the things has a shelf life, and the place you retailer your medicine issues. For instance, conserving your medicine in a toilet the place there’s loads of steam and humidity can shorten its shelf life, says Fey. “So be good about storing issues and getting probably the most out of them.”
What to Look Out For
Now that (correct) assets for reproductive well being have gotten tougher to search out, it is also robust to inform what we will and might’t belief. “Anti-abortion assets are actually good at trying like the true deal. That is why it is all the time vital to confirm the clinic or help group you are going to name is listed on ineedana.com,” Nall says. “When you’re not capable of finding them on ineedana.com and the web site claims getting an abortion will increase danger of breast most cancers or their important headline is “free ultrasounds!” with no different companies listed – you are in all probability on an anti-abortion pretend clinic web page.” Take a look at extra info on pretend clinics listed right here.
“A variety of these sorts of facilities can be referred to as issues like ‘girls’s facilities’ or ‘being pregnant useful resource facilities,’ and so they usually promote free being pregnant assessments and ultrasounds. They might discuss providing ‘abortion choices counseling,’ however if you happen to learn the superb print, they’re very clear that they not solely do not present abortion care, however they will not check with abortion suppliers both,” Cushman provides.
In a 2024 survey of 1,203 members ages 15-29 and assigned feminine at beginning (AFAB), roughly 80 % needed details about contraception and abortion, however solely 33 % and three % (respectively) acquired it within the final yr. Not solely is there an obvious info hole in younger individuals, however there may be additionally rising concern concerning the unfold of misinformation.
“We face — not simply in reproductive well being, and never simply in public well being, however normally — an onslaught of myths and disinformation,” Fey says. “Persons are going to must be very savvy shoppers to type by way of that.” Vetted assets, like those listed right here, might help.
The Backside Line
“We all know that it is within the realm of risk for there to be a federal abortion ban,” Cushman says. It may very well be after a selected gestational age or a sure variety of weeks of being pregnant, however both manner, Cushman acknowledges a ban could be devastating. “There are additionally some potential actions that the FDA may take to restrict entry to abortion tablets,” she says. Nonetheless, there are additionally some causes to have hope.
“States like New York, California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington, have already handed measures to guard abortion suppliers who’re providing telehealth in these states, and are actually making an attempt to increase entry inside their borders in addition to by mail,” Cushman says. That is to not point out all of the advocates and suppliers nonetheless working to guard entry to primary healthcare.
“In my very own private life. I am occupied with: how I might help communities inside my neighborhood which have fewer assets?” Fey says. “As we take into consideration the world that we’re in, there is a stage of unpredictability to it, and we have seen that with abortion care.” Finally, it is about acknowledging what might occur sooner or later, and taking the suitable precautions with out falling right into a full-blown panic. One small consolation? “I completely suppose there’s nonetheless hope,” Fey says.
Chandler Plante (she/her) is an assistant well being and health editor for PS. She has over 4 years {of professional} journalism expertise, beforehand working as an editorial assistant for Folks journal and contributing to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group.
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