March 11 marked a significant milestone for the state of Hawaii. In 1970, Hawaii became the first state to legalize abortion access, three years before Roe v. Wade protected abortion nationwide.
On March 11, we celebrate 50 years of safe, legal abortion in Hawaii!
The right to access abortion is protected by the Hawaii state constitution’s privacy right. * The state is continually lauded by reproductive rights organizations as a leader on reproductive health and rights.
However, the unique geography of the state, on top of the inequities in access across the islands, means the people of Hawaii often hear how “progressive” the state is while finding themselves unable to exercise even basic rights to health care. There are only three abortion providers in the state, and only two islands have abortion providers – including the Planned Parenthood health centers on Oahu and Maui. The number of abortion providers in the state has been on the decline since the 1990s, and access is a growing concern.
An estimated 5 percent of Hawaiian women a year go without health care because of travel barriers. The cost of traveling to another island for care can range from $300 for basic round-trip flights between islands, up to $1,000 once you factor in lodging and meals. This, on top of the cost of the care itself, creates significant financial hurdles.
Amanda Ehe, Hawaii Regional Field Organizer with Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii (PPVNH), added, “Many residents are unaware of how to navigate the health system. Some parts of the travel to get care might be provided by their insurance, but many people do not know what is covered.”
PPVNH reports that “across the state, people are delayed or unable to access abortion care due to a provider shortage and geographic barriers, especially those on islands other than Oahu.”
Ehe explained that other barriers beyond physical distance and travel cost may prevent people from getting care. “There is still a big stigma around abortion in Hawaii.”
Thanks to the support of people like you, Planned Parenthood is able to work on addressing and removing these challenging barriers.
PPGNHI provides care in our health centers on Oahu (Honolulu) and Maui (Kahului), including telemedicine when in-person visits are not necessary (such as birth control prescription refills or counseling on health care options). We’re also educating younger generations with fact-based, shame-free sex education through Teen Council and our sex education programs, while PPVNH organizers like Ehe work within local Hawaiian communities to reduce stigma and empower individuals.
For the year ahead, I’m pleased to report that PPVNH has taken a strong stance on expanding health care access options across Hawaii. This includes taking on outdated rules that limit what health care providers can perform abortions, expanding insurance coverage for sexual and reproductive care, and calling on the state to fully fund the family planning program.
I’m looking forward to the next chapter and the next victory in Hawaii as they work toward expanding abortion access.
*The Hawaii state legislature’s 1978 Committee of the Whole’s explanation of the Hawaii state constitution Privacy right [article I, section 6], during the state constitutional convention: “This privacy concept encompasses the notion that in certain highly personal and intimate matters, the individual should be afforded freedom of choice absent a compelling state interest [emphasis added].”