California abortion activists, providers prepare for unprecedented demand

Organizations met in December to adopt resolutions for how to serve needs of in-state and out-of-state residents if Roe is overturned

California will see a massive increase in abortion patients–from 46,000 a year to 1.4 million–if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, according to the Guttmacher Institute. With such an unprecedented challenge, Californians involved in reproductive care gathered in December to issue a series of recommendations to deal with whatever demand comes. 

“Californians broadly are going to be impacted by the overturning of Roe v. Wade,” said Brandon Richards, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California. “First off, and perhaps the biggest way that the impact will be felt as you know, California will be looked to by out of state people of reproductive age to be their nearest abortion provider.” 

That will have a huge impact on Californians who themselves want to get reproductive care. 

“If those health centers are helping out-of-state people just as they are helping Californians, the wait time could be increased pretty significantly,” Richards said. 

The California Future of Abortion Council, which consisted of more than 40 reproductive justice and rights organizations, convened and developed guidelines on how to deal with transportation barriers, misinformation and the shortage of abortion workers. 

The first topic covered in their report was the need for more money in its abortion funds, which go to help women with lodging and travel expenses to abortion clinics. Those funds are available to both in-state and out-of-state residents. For decades, abortion funds like ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE, those held within clinics such as the Women in Need Fund for Women’s Health Specialists, and the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project (WRRAP) independently fundraised to directly, and indirectly, support callers and patients with these needs, according to the report. 

Jessica Pinckney, executive director at ACCESS Reproductive Justice, said combatting misinformation about abortion facilities–whether it be conspiracies on social media or the traditional challenge of making people aware of crisis pregnancy centers–will be a massive part of their future efforts. They plan on making overtures to community organizations, including faith-based ones, to ensure that cisgender women and transgender men know where to go and what help can be provided at abortion facilities. 

“There are many organizations who are deeply rooted in communities across the state and who are trusted in the community to provide adequate and quality information to community members,” Pinckney said. “And so we do call for a fund for community-based organizations to share the proper information about reproductive health care and comprehensive sex education.” 

Some abortion clinics also assist their patients with practical support needs to get to their appointments. The unmet need, however, is far greater than the resources currently available.

The council also called for a central location on the internet that would permit abortion-seekers to access information. Stacey Wittorff, an associate counsel for PPACA, compared it to what happened in nearby Washington state. 

“Someone who was looking in that state for where they can access care would be able to find everything in one place,” Wittorff said, “Whether it be procedural support, where a clinic might be, or how to access things like practical support, there'll be sort of a centralized landing place available that collects all that and updates all of that information.” 

Additionally, they called for better transportation options for women enrolled in Medi-Cal, which is the state’s Medicaid program. In 2017, some 40 percent of California counties had no clinics that provided abortions. 

Insofar as the worker shortage at facilities, the council members called for reproductive care scholarships. The state had eased medical requirements earlier to allow nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants to perform abortions. Most of the other states in America have taken no such step. 

California State Sen. Toni Atkins introduced a bill in early March that would ease requirements and permit nurse practitioners to perform abortions without a physician overseeing their work. 

“With an increasing shortage of providers, far too many Californians are struggling to get the care they need, when they need it,” Atkins said. “Patients—especially pregnant people considering abortion—don’t have time to waste. That’s why it is so important that highly skilled, qualified nurse practitioners have the opportunity to practice independently, including the ability to provide first term abortions.”