January 24th, 2012

Categories: economic justice, Funds

Ana Rodriguez, Executive Director of ACCESS Women's Health Justice in California, explains how barriers stand in the way of making the choices guaranteed 39 years ago by Roe v. Wade for the women she hears from every day:

Take the story of one woman who called ACCESS Women's Health Justice seeking our assistance to obtain abortion care. She lives with her four children, ages 16, 12, 4 and 3, in the Central Valley 100 miles from the nearest provider. "I must do this to be fair to my other children. I just cannot support and care for another child because my other children need me and I work nights to support us," the woman told our Healthline. Because there is no local abortion provider she had to find child care, borrow money for bus fare to and from San Francisco and find some place to stay before and after her procedure.

These are the types of hurdles that women face every day – hurdles that cause women to delay abortion care. No one should have to overcome these types of hurdles to access a simple, safe and legal medical procedure, and at ACCESS we were able to reimburse the woman for bus fare, provide her with transportation to a provider, and offer a home to stay in while in the city.

As we mark Roe v. Wade this year, let us remember that each woman has her own personal story. We must work to make sure that each and every woman who makes her own personal decision regarding a pregnancy can do so without barriers of transportation, economics and inaccessible providers.

Ana Rodriguez, Executive Director of ACCESS Women's Health Justice, from her article published in The Sacramento Bee: Viewpoints on January 23, 2012. Ms. Rodriguez's article is available in full on the ACCESS Women's Health Justice blog.

Help break down the barriers: click here to join the online virtual march for women's health and reproductive justice!