Since the draconian Texas abortion ban went into effect in September 2021, almost a year before Roe was overturned, we have seen four times the number of out-of-state abortion patients as we did previously. The stories PPMM providers have heard from our Texas abortion patients — as well as those who have traveled here from other states after Roe was overturned in June 2022 — clearly illustrate the trauma, danger, and injustice caused by these bans. Here are just a few stories of out-of-state abortion patients:
Abortion Patient 1
A young pregnant woman with no access to abortion care needed to end her pregnancy in order to have life-saving surgery that involved a complex medical condition related to her heart.
A portion of her visit to PPMM was subsidized by financial support, covering the cost of her abortion procedure. Our staff provided her with the care she needed, and she did not have to delay her heart surgery any further.
Abortion Patient 2
A single mother of three found herself suddenly on her own, with very limited income, when her partner left her as soon as he found out she was pregnant. Feeling unable to support her family, she wanted to end her pregnancy. Though she had no access to abortion in her state, she did some research and reached out to PPMM.
Our staff discussed her options with her, and she was approved for financial support that would help her afford her procedure as well as the cost of travelling to our affiliate.
When she got the news about the financial support, she burst into tears of gratitude and said, “You are my angels during this hard time, and I will be forever grateful to PPMM.”
Abortion Patient 3
One patient with a young child, who had been living with friends and had no permanent home, wanted to end her pregnancy in her home state where there was no abortion access. Her job wasn’t paying her enough to afford her living expenses. Meanwhile, she was in court proceedings to settle a domestic violence case — all while attending school to build a better future for herself and her child.
She called PPMM to see if we could provide financial assistance for her abortion procedure. When she was told that financial support would cover part of her care, she was overcome with emotion and relief. She was also amazed that she qualified for financial aid even though she was coming from another state.
Abortion Patient 4
Another young patient came to us, fearing retaliation from her father if he discovered that she was pregnant and seeking an abortion. Though the patient had emotional support from her partner, she was under extreme pressure to conceal her pregnancy and come up with enough money to afford the trip to another state for abortion care.
Financial support was available for her to travel to PPMM, and she was profoundly thankful to our staff for their warmth and compassion as well as being able to keep her decision private.
We're proud to stand with patients who need us more than ever!
Tags: abortion_care, AbortionProviders, abortion_bans, state laws on abortion