While there are many unknowns about the abortion landscape in Arizona and laws continue to be challenged, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest wants Arizonans to know that abortion care is legal and available in California. People can schedule abortion care in days, not weeks at 19 health centers across San Diego, Riverside and Imperial counties.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to an abortion on June 24, about 19 percent of all abortion patients at our affiliate now come from Arizona. That is an increase of 847 percent compared to the weeks prior to the June 24 decision.
Since our health centers in Imperial Valley, Coachella, and Rancho Mirage are some of the closest to cities in Arizona such as Phoenix, Yuma and Tucson, we’ve been increasing our abortion appointment access at our centers closest to the Arizona/California border to make it easier to get care.
Patients can get all the details they need at planned.org/arizona. Information on scheduling an appointment, cost, travel time to health centers and funding (including information on travel cost support) is clearly detailed on this web page, including phone numbers, health center locations and links to make an appointment online.
“We understand that this can be a time of tremendous stress,” said Vivian Perez, a Master of Public Health Administration and Health Center Manager of Planned Parenthood Imperial Valley. “We also understand that abortion care is part of basic health care service – an important part. So we provide information on our website, social media, through our health centers and patient navigators to make it easier on patients seeking this care, to reduce that stress. We’re all adjusting to new challenges, and want to break down any barriers that stand in the way of good care.”
If, for example, a Phoenix resident is looking for a health center, they can easily see on our website that the Rancho Mirage Planned Parenthood Health Center and Imperial Valley Planned Parenthood Health Center have both medication and in-center abortions, and they are a four-hour drive away. Someone from Phoenix could reach our Riverside Health Center with a five-hour drive.
“We want people to feel comfortable asking us for help with care or travel costs if they need it,” adds Perez. “Fees are based on a sliding scale and determined by the patient’s monthly income and number of dependents. You pay what you can afford and no one is ever turned away from receiving care because they are unable to pay. Our Contact Center staff and Care Coordinators are here to help especially with other abortion fund resources available to folks who may need them.”
California – and Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest – remain committed to full access to reproductive health care, no matter what.
Read this LA Times article about the abortion care we are providing at our health centers located along the border of Arizona.
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