Planned Parenthood to offer ‘just in case’ abortion pills at some US clinics

A doctor hands a patient the first of two pills taken for a medical abortion. Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP View image in fullscreen A doctor hands a patient the first of two pills taken for a medical abortion. Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP Planned Parenthood to offer ‘just in case’ abortion pills at some US clinics Patients in Washington and Hawaii will be able to obtain medication before pregnancy in expansion of early access Planned Parenthood clinics in Washington and Hawaii will now offer “just in case” abortion medication, bringing wider attention to the option of receiving the pills in advance of pregnancy amid growing challenges to access. Leaders at the organization hope their name recognition will help community members understand their options for accessing care despite federal, state and personal challenges to getting abortion care. “It’s more than just an opportunity. It really is an obligation,” said Colleen McNicholas, chief of clinical transformation and medical affairs for Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana and Kentucky. “We need to be doing everything we can at this moment, and that means more than just holding the line – it means finding ways to expand access.” US abortion restrictions are hindering access to miscarriage care, study finds Read more The announcement means abortion medication in advance has “gotten a lot of visibility,” said Amy Merrill, co-founder of Plan C, an organization that offers information about medication abortion, including on pills in advance . “It makes it more known, it makes it more normal, it destigmatizes it.” Some 41 states have banned or restricted abortion, and the US Food and Drug Administration is conducting a review of mifepristone, an abortion medication, with the possibility of restricting it nationally. Yet abortion in the US has largely remained steady because of telehealth and travel to states where abortion is still protected. Having abortion pills on hand prior to becoming pregnant can further ease challenges to accessing abortion, including geography, interpersonal dynamics, money, work and other obstacles, Merrill said. Getting an abortion in the US is frequently “confusing” and “chaotic”, she said. People facing intimate partner violence may struggle to get to the clinic in time; teenagers may not have their parents’ permission; others face challenges taking time off work, finding childcare and getting appointments with providers in time. “This movement is trying to think about how to ease the burden of this basic need in the face of so many existing challenges – political, but also logistical and financial and interpersonal,” Merrill said. It can be challenging to find timely, appropriate care even in states that protect access to abortion, McNicholas said. “Even if you are in a haven state or a protected state, that doesn’t necessarily mean access is easy for you.” “Needing an abortion is time-sensitive for patients,” Rebecca Gibron, president and CEO of