particulars
A bit ago, I interviewed folks who work in abortion justice in North Carolina, Wisconsin and Virginia about how abortion stigma impacts their work and the lives of their patients, as well as what we can do to alleviate abortion stigma. The people I interviewed told me about protestors, about patients feeling compelled to explain why they were seeking abortion care, about money and ever-changing laws and driving to other states and being legally prohibited from talking about abortion pills. This week, let’s take a closer look at how abortion stigma impacts clinics (after the plate).
Abortion stigma is a means of keeping people from seeking and getting abortions. We’ve talked about TRAP laws, but there are other ways in which abortion access can is inhibited when it comes to this can manifest when it comes to providing.
Depending on where you live (or who lives where you live), it can be challenging to find a landlord who will rent to someone who wants to open a clinic that will provide abortions, leading folks to find property in low-income communities, which are often deemed undesirable and can add to the stigma around abortion clinics and providers. Then there’s the fact of co-location, or the purposeful establishment of crisis pregnancy centers near actual medical facilities (I used to escort at a clinic in the Bronx that was down the street from a fake clinic - it made it easy for people to get off the train, and if they didn’t know the neighborhood, become disoriented and walk into the fake clinic, where they would receive none of the actual care that they came for, and instead, be shamed and lied to).
In 2024, 35% of US counties were considered “maternity care deserts,” which means that 1,104 of counties, there is not a single birthing facility or obstetric clinician. Coincidentally (not really), these happen to be counties in states where abortion is banned or heavily regulated. There are also fewer applications for residencies from med students in these states. Learning to provide abortions is difficult because of stigma - not every medical school offers training, and being the “one who wants to provide abortions” can come with its own issues. Thanks to stigma, abortion is still regarded as being “dirty work,” for those who aren’t “real” doctors. That, plus the facts of harassment, social isolation, and the arbitrary barriers placed on a safe procedure, can lead to burnout among providers, making building and securing community essential.
Action item: It’s vital to understand how wide and deep the reach of abortion stigma is, so take some time to investigate the number of abortion providers in your county, as well as where clinics are located and if co-location is at work in their neighborhoods. If it is, point it out on Yelp, Google Maps, or wherever you can.
Next time: TBD.