We are already facing the consequences of Trump’s first administration. His appointment of three Supreme Court justices established a conservative majority on the bench, a decades-long goal of the anti-abortion movement. When that court voted 6 to 3 to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, they eliminated the federal right to abortion. Trigger laws allowed 13 states to immediately instate bans. And despite the success of some pro-abortion ballot measures, as of today only 15 states protect abortion rights to any degree. The results of these bans have been devastating. Roughly one in five patients nationwide have had to travel out of state to access abortion. Inequities in access to reproductive care have widened. Pregnant people denied emergency medical care have suffered and died. Infant mortality and maternal mortality have increased in ban states.
Things will only get worse. We must assume the Trump/Vance administration will follow the Project 25 playbook, further devastating reproductive rights. Here is a sampling of those recommendations: 1) Target medication abortions with moves against mifepristone, a medication used to end pregnancies. A majority of abortions now utilize this medication, and many people rely on telehealth to access a prescription. The administration could move to require in-person visits to prescribe mifepristone or attempt to reverse its FDA approval altogether. 2) Ban the mailing of medicines and equipment used to perform abortions by enforcing the 1873 Comstock Act. Anti-abortion activists have already begun testing this approach in Texas, and just down the road in Danville. 3) Prohibit federal funds from covering abortion care. This could remove funding from Planned Parenthood, impact people who receive Medicaid and Medicare, and affect millions who get health insurance through the federal government such as military personnel, prisoners, and Peace Corps volunteers. 4) Implement a “gag rule” that would block US money to any domestic or international organizations that “provide abortion services, information, counseling, referrals or advocacy.”
Diminished access to abortion care will exacerbate all the harms we are already witnessing. Furthermore, people who are forced to carry unwanted pregnancies and their families will also be negatively affected. Results from the groundbreaking, decade-long Turnaway Study enumerate the socioeconomic and health implications for people who are denied a wanted abortion. Those turned away face comparatively worse economic hardship and are more likely to remain in abusive relationships. The children they already have and those who are born because of being denied care are more likely to live below the federal poverty line. Additionally, these birthing folks experience more life-threatening and chronic health problems. The United States already has a disturbingly high maternal mortality rate compared to other high-income countries. In 2022, there were 22 perinatal deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 5.5 in the UK and 8.4 in Canada. 80 percent were preventable.
It cannot be stated emphatically enough: expanded anti-abortion policies will worsen the racial, economic, and gender inequities that our communities already experience. And they will fuel the maternal mortality epidemic, which impacts Black birthing people at four times the rate of their white peers. Knowing this, we must prepare ourselves, our families, and our communities to protect reproductive rights. Here are some ways to take action:
Educate yourself. Follow reliable sources, so that you can be a resource to friends and family on access to care. The Guttmacher Institute provides excellent research and communications on sexual and reproductive health, including abortion laws in the US. If you prefer some levity with your activist updates, check out Abortion Access Front and Shout Your Abortion.
Be proactive. Explore long-term birth-control options with your doctor or local Planned Parenthood affiliate. Keep a personal stock of contraceptives, including the morning-after pill (a.k.a. Plan B), which can be accessed for free at numerous walk-in locations in Urbana-Champaign. Check out the Plan C website to learn how to access abortion pills ahead of time, just in case.
Give as you are able. Abortion providers and abortion funds are under tremendous pressure to provide financial and logistical support for a growing number of folks traveling for abortion care. Find an organization you believe in and send them what you are able. Local organizations that need donations include Equity Clinic, Planned Parenthood of Champaign, and Elevated Access (the latter two also provide/support gender-affirming care).
Get involved. Local organizations are a place to connect with other activists and strengthen our community’s support for sexual and reproductive rights. Contact one of our two abortion clinics—Equity Clinic and Planned Parenthood—about volunteer opportunities. Check out student organizations such as Planned Parenthood Generation Action, Illini Students for Reproductive Justice, Medical Students for Choice, If/When/How (law school), and others. If you have a private pilot’s license, get in touch with Elevated Access.
A personal invitation: The community-based, volunteer-led Urbana-Champaign for Reproductive Justice (UCRJ) has been organizing for reproductive justice in our community for two years. Reach out to me or anyone on the steering committee to get involved in our ongoing projects or propose new ones. We thrive on creative collaboration and recognize that our movement’s success depends on each of us taking action.
Julie Laut, PhD (she/her) is a progressive community activist with a background in education, labor organizing, breastfeeding advocacy, gender and women’s world history, and community outreach. She is the founder and director of Urbana-Champaign Reproductive Justice (UCRJ).
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