Abortion needs do not stop for a pandemic or wait as society and politicians figure out how to respond. It's time to talk openly about self-managed abortion. #AbortionCantWait
Let me paint the picture:

In the midst of a pandemic, abortion funds are still getting calls from people who need an abortion. Some callers have lost their jobs recently. Others don't have paid time off or adequate healthcare, and can't travel for their abortion.

Some callers are parents who have lost their childcare right now. Others are walking into grocery stores, trying to stretch dollars to feed their families. Many are calling clinics that are being forced to close trying to figure out how to get their abortion.

We are facing barriers to abortion we have never experienced before. Social distancing makes travel for abortion extremely difficult. Barriers enacted by anti-abortion politicians put people in greater danger of contracting the virus and spreading it to others.

The reality is that in-clinic abortion is simply not an option for many right now. And people must have options to end their pregnancy that fit these circumstances, including self-managed abortion, that come without the fear of arrest or jail time. #AbortionCantWait

This crisis also occurs at a time when anti-abortion politicians and overzealous prosecutors are looking for ways to punish people for self-managing their abortions.

During any crisis, we can expect increased policing and
criminalization of marginalized communities. That’s extremely worrying when Black people especially and disproportionately bear the burden of a lack of COVID-19 testing/treatment access and social distancing availability.

Combined with less repro healthcare and abortion access, and more targeting by police in “normal” times, the intersections here make for a dangerous combo of factors that target PoC, including the same people most likely to seek assistance from abortion funds.

This mental math is necessary for our communities to consider when deciding if they want to continue a pregnancy, and how to proceed once they’ve made that decision. We must protect the decision to self-manage an abortion and recognize those decisions aren’t made in a vacuum.

People at risk for being criminalized for self-managing their own abortions are at even higher risk during the pandemic. Instead of sending someone to jail, we must ensure that however a person decides to end a pregnancy, they can do so safely and effectively, and with dignity.

Abortion is essential. Now is not the time for abortion bans that put people in greater danger. It's time to lift restrictions on telemedicine and medication abortion, because #AbortionCantWait.