Obtaining abortion care in this political climate is unfortunately fraught with hurdles and roadblocks. In addition to the emotional support you need for dealing with the realities of ending your wanted pregnancy due to fetal or maternal health problems, you may also need a lot of practical information. What are the medical procedures involved? How do you find a provider? Will your insurance cover your procedure? What are the reproductive health laws where you live? What are doulas and how can they help me? What do you do when your milk comes in? We put together this compendium to help you find the information you need.
Abortion Procedures
Searching for descriptions of termination procedures online may result in a glut of upsetting misinformation designed to frighten or make you feel guilty. For your peace of mind, we’ve done the searching for you and found straightforward, factual information on the most common procedures from objective, respected medical websites.
First trimester:
WebMD Dilation & Cutterage (also called “D&C”)
Second or third trimester:
WebMD Induction (also called labor & delivery or “L&D”)
WebMD Dilation & Evacuation (also called “D&E”)
ANSIRH: What Happens During Later Abortions?
ANSIRH: Countering Misinformation—What Do We Know About Fetal Pain?
Our personal stories involving pregnancy termination by induction, labor & delivery (L&D)
Our personal stories involving pregnancy termination by dilation & extraction (D&E)
Our personal stories involving pregnancy termination after 24 weeks gestation
Abortion Laws and Policies by Geographic Location
Guttmacher Institute: State-by-state listing of later-term abortion policies (PDF)
Guttmacher Institute: Mandatory Counseling and Waiting Periods by State (PDF)
ANSIRH: Access Map (US)
NARAL: Who Decides? The Status of Women’s Reproductive Rights in the United States
NARAL: Interactive map to learn about laws in your state
International Consortium for Medical Abortion: Second-Trimester Abortion Law Globally
ANSIRH: Evaluation of Abortion Restrictions Project
Finding a Care Provider
Planned Parenthood’s Abortion Care Finder tool
National Abortion Federation (NAF) Hotline 1-800-722-9100
Our Bodies, Ourselves: Abortion Resources & Support
Abortion Care Network A network of independent abortion providers, allies, and individuals who provide quality care for women.
British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) Arrange a private pregnancy termination in the U.K.
All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center (formerly Backline)
Women on Web—An international collective of women helping women access reproductive care around the globe.
Avoiding Anti-Choice Zealot Medical Professionals
AAPLOG’s Search Feature provides you a list of “pro-life” OBs/Gyns in your area. If a care provider you are considering using shows up in a search there, you will know to avoid them because they are probably an anti-choice zealot who will not respect your decisions. Note: AAPLOG stands for American Association of Pro-Life Physicians. It is an anti-choice website, so be careful about what information you share with them. You can search AAPLOG by state without entering your email address.
Insurance Issues
ANSIRH: Insurance Coverage and Obtaining Referrals
NARAL: Fast Facts on Insurance Issues & Prohibitions
Abortion Clinics Online: Clinics that Accept Insurance
Finding Funding
National Network of Abortion Funds
Abortion Funds Available by State
The Brigid Alliance (helps with funding when travel is required for pregnancy termination)
Q&A: How Did You Handle the Financial Burden?
Pro-Choice Advocacy
National Women’s Health Network: Why Restrictions on Later-Term Abortion Care Impact All of Us.
Impact of the Hyde Amendment – Fact Sheet (PDF)
LSRJ—Law Students for Reproductive Justice
Abortion Conversation Project, Inc.—A resource for open and honest conversations about pregnancy termination
Medical Students for Choice—Tomorrow’s reproductive healthcare providers and pro-choice physicians
Poor Prenatal Diagnosis Information
Poor Prenatal Diagnosis Index – An index of posts compiled by the editors of Ending a Wanted Pregnancy providing a brief, plain English description of various diagnoses and links to trusted medical resources discussing the disease, defect or syndrome.
Abortion Doulas
A doula is a caregiver specially trained to support you physically and emotionally during childbirth. Abortion doulas (also called “radical doulas” or “full-spectrum doulas”) are specially trained to provide you compassionate and empowering support you before, during and after your pregnancy termination.
Aftercare in the Aftermath
The Ending a Wanted Pregnancy Survival Guide
Workbook (free download): A Guide to Emotional & Spiritual Resolution After Abortion