For Many Virginia Women, In-Clinic Abortion Care is Already Out of Reach

 Having the legal right to seek an abortion doesn’t mean much to a woman and her family who cannot effectively access those services. For many Virginia women, those barriers are very high indeed. In fact, 4 out of 5 Virginia women reside in counties without a single abortion provider! For rural women in the south and west of Virginia, in particular, a clinic may be more than 3 hours away – a distance that makes managing the many other logistics of in-clinic abortions nearly impossible.

 Cost is also a major obstacle to Virginia women. The combination of distance, time off, cost and insurance is more than enough to prevent poor and rural women from receiving the in-clinic care that they need (and indeed many of these clinics also provide much needed family planning services too). Many insurance policies do not cover in-clinic abortions, which can be as much as $750. In fact, Virginian public employees are only covered when the woman’s life is endangered or in cases of rape, incest, or fetal impairment, making it financially inaccessible for many.

 Fortunately, alternatives to in-clinic abortions are becoming more common and accessible. Medical abortions, otherwise known as abortion pills, are available up to 11 weeks of pregnancy and can be supervised by an abortion provider via telehealth appointment (assuming you have internet access and can afford the pills).

 The lesson, however, for Virginians who believe that women should be able to make their own reproductive choices is clear:  there are all kinds of ways to make it difficult for a woman to exercise her options, even when abortion is technically legal.

 Governor Youngkin certainly knows that. In fact, a video shot at a campaign rally captured him saying that once he was governor -- and he has a majority in the House -- “we could start going on the offense” to limit access to abortions. Just this week, in fact, in his proposed state budget amendments, Youngkin proposed that any state funding for abortions be banned — even in the case of a non-viable fetus! (See the news report here.)

In short, if access to reproductive services is not easy for many Virginia women even now, expect it to get far more difficult if the Republicans win control of both Houses next election. Republican politicians from states like Texas will be eager to show them how to do it.

 And that is why people who value a woman’s right to choose need to show up on election day.

 What to know more? Try these links:

https://vadogwood.com/2022/06/16/gov-glenn-youngkin-proposes-38-changes-to-virginias-budget-including-one-funding-for-abortion-access-and-care/

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/in-clinic-abortion-procedures

https://pudding.cool/2017/09/clinics/

https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/state-facts-about-abortion-virginia

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/the-abortion-pill/how-do-i-get-the-abortion-pill