We Take Care of Us! A know your options/enemy/power toolkit by the abortion liberation fund of pa.

*Vaya aquí para esta guía en español - Gracias a Comadreluna*

How to use this toolkit

Abortion is currently legal in Pennsylvania (PA), but remains highly inaccessible to many. The workers at the Abortion Liberation Fund of PA have put together this guide to help individuals and communities practice informed pregnancy options and mobilize for reproductive justice.  While the Supreme Court announcement is a devastating culmination of decades of systemic oppression and targeted restriction of reproductive access, we know that the courts have no place in bodily self-determination or families. Abortions have always existed and will continue to exist and we are here to increase access and make sure people know their options for safer, more caring abortions.


In this toolkit you’ll find three major sections:

  1. Know your options - here you can find resources, explanations on pregnancy and abortion options.
  1. Click here to jump to a list of clinics.
  2. Click here to jump to resources on self managed abortion.
  1. Know your enemy - here you can get to know a bit about how abortion became criminalized and highly restricted, what ongoing problems we face, and what obstacles are emerging.
  2. Know your power - here you can learn about how to take action, find more resources to learn about reproductive justice.

If you have more questions or would like to submit a resource, please contact: info@abortionfundpa.org.

Most recent update: March 2024

Know your options

How to get an abortion in Philly/PA

There are infinite  reasons to have an abortion, and all of them are great ones. In this section you can first find  Considering an Abortion in Pennsylvania? Here’s a bit around what you can expect:

Pennsylvania has mandatory consent laws meaning - A patient must receive state-directed counseling that includes information designed to discourage the patient from having an abortion, and then wait 24 hours before the procedure is provided.

When you first make an appointment, the clinic will likely ask about your most recent period to determine how far along the pregnancy is. Depending on the estimated weeks of pregnancy, you will have options to choose the method of abortion that feels best for you:

  1. Medication abortion - consists of using two different medicines called mifepristone and misoprostol to release a pregnancy. This medicine causes cramping and bleeding to empty your uterus. It’s kind of like having a very heavy and crampy period, and the process is very similar to an early miscarriage. In PA, clinics will offer medication abortions up to 11 weeks.
  2. In-clinic abortion  -  these kinds of abortions are performed up to 23 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy in PA. Depending on your comfort level and how many weeks along the pregnancy is you may receive sedation during the procedure. If you are sedated, you must have an adult sign you out from the clinic to leave with you as you may be groggy after waking up.  

Most abortions take place in a clinic setting and very rarely at a hospital. If you are interested  in self managed abortion care, we have resources on that coming up!

Some obstacles you may face while seeking an abortion in Pennsylvania:

  1. Cost - abortions can cost anywhere between $275 and $4000+ depending on the gestation of the pregnancy. Medicaid in Pennsylvania only covers abortion in cases of sexual assault, incest, or if the pregnancy is determined to be a ‘threat’ to a person’s life.
  2. Parental consent and judicial  bypass - minors (17 and younger) seeking abortions in PA must have a parent or legal guardian give written consent to the procedure and attend the appointments with them. If a young person is unable to get this consent, they have to meet with a judge and prove they are “emotionally mature” enough to have an abortion. When you schedule your appointment, the clinic staff can help you get connected with an advocate who will guide you through the whole process.
  3. Access to a clinic: in the 1980s, there were well more than 100 abortion providers in the state, today there are fewer than thirty. Approximately 85% of counties are without clinics, limiting access and autonomy for thousands of families and individuals.

Clinics:

https://www.ineedana.com is a great tool to help you find clinics suited to your needs and location. If you’re looking in PA here are some clinics to start (we’ll be updating this list with information on gestation limits & contact info soon):

Access and options support resources

Funding

When you schedule your appointment, ask the clinic what funding resources are available. They will often be able to provide some initial support and give you information on where else may be able to help.

Abortion Liberation Fund of PA - We provide emergency financial support to people who live in or live elsewhere and are having an abortion in the following PA counties: Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Berks, Lehigh, Luzerne, York, and Dauphin. To request funding:

  1. Schedule an appointment for your abortion, even if you are unsure how you will pay for it.
  2. Call the ALF-PA Helpline 215-564-6622 ¿Usted habla Español? Por favor llame a ALF-PA 215-564-6622

New Voices for Reproductive Justice #SayHERName Fund -  provides up to $1,000 to cover unexpected expenses associated with sudden/tragic loss for Black mamas, women, femmes and gender- expansive folx and their families who have been impacted by violence.

National Abortion Federation - information about financial assistance is available only at 1-800-772-9100. Ask the clinic you are going to if they are a member of NAF before calling for financial assistance."

Counseling and emotional support

All options counseling - Non judgemental phone counseling for decisions, feelings, and experiences about all pregnancy options/outcomes and experiences including abortion, before, during, and after procedure.

Talkline: 1-888-493-0092

M-F: 10AM-1AM, Sat. & Sun. 10AM-6M

Repro Legal Helpline - If/When/How’s legal helpline that offers information and support related to pregnancy management & the law.

Faith Aloud - Compassionate religious and spiritual support for abortion and pregnancy options. Counseling line is staffed by members of a variety of faith backgrounds.

Tel: 1-888-717-5010

T-F: 10AM-4PM"

Exhale call line - Emotional support, resources, and information for people who have had abortions, as well as to their partners, family, friends and allies. The service is available in multiple languages, currently including: English and Spanish.

Tel: 1-866-439-4253

DIY Doula: Self-Care for Before, During, & After Your Abortion - created by the Doula Project in NY, this zine offers a comprehensive and caring guide to supporting yourself (or a loved one) having an abortion.

Pregnancy Options & Abortion Resolution Workbooks - these workbooks offer self-guided reflection and activities to think through pregnancy outcome decision-making and processing after an abortion.

Judicial Bypass

Youth (17 and under) seeking abortions in Pennsylvania must comply with the state’s mandatory parental consent law meaning yung people are required to have a parent or legal guardian give written consent to the abortion.  If you’re a young person for whom parental/guardian consent is not an option or is not desired, you have a few options:

  • Judicial bypass, or overruling the consent law
  • To receive judicial bypass, you must attend a judicial hearing. The hearing is confidential and takes place in a judge’s office with only a judge, lawyer, and clerk attendance. Clinics can assist in starting the judicial bypass process. Note: every teen that has gone through the process in Philadelphia has received the consent of the judge.
  • A guide to judicial bypass & abortions for young people - created by the National Network of Abortion Funds, this 20 page guide offers in depth information to minor consent and judicial bypass.
  • Get an abortion in another state. NJ and NY have no parental consent laws and DE has a less harsh law that applies to teens 15 and under.

Abortion Later in Pregnancy

Who Not When - A people-centered resource for understanding abortions later in pregnancy. A project of  Patient Forward and developed by and with people who have sought abortions later in pregnancy.

National Abortion Federation - If you have received a diagnosis of a fetal anomaly or require specialized later abortion care, please call 1-877-257-0012 for help locating a provider.

Self managed abortion

Plan C pills - offers information and resources about medication abortions, including how to access medication abortion pills.

Miscarriage and abortion hotline - confidential hotline of licensed healthcare providers available to answer (call or text) medical questions during your miscarriage or abortion. 5am-11pm PT/8am-2am ET 833-246-2632

Self-Managed Abortion; Safe and Supported (SASS) - this website provides information about how to use abortion pills to end an unwanted pregnancy, with or without a clinician.

Reprocare -  Anonymous healthline that provides peer-based emotional support, medical information, and referrals to people having an abortion at home with pills. (Available call/tex in spanish & english).

Know your enemy

History of abortion restriction since Roe v. Wade (a timeline of lowlights)

  • 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizes abortion in the United States.  
  • 1976 Hyde Amendment passes, blocking federal funds from paying for abortions, leaving millions - especially BIPOC, working class, and incarcerated people-without access to abortion.
  • 1982 Abortion Control Act passes in Pennsylvania, further limiting access by implementing minor consent, and mandating 24-hour waiting period and counseling for abortion seekers. Planned Parenthood of Southeastern PA files a lawsuit in response (Planned Parenthood vs. Casey → see below)
  • 1985 Pennsylvania bans Medicaid coverage of abortion.
  • 1992 Planned Parenthood vs. Casey affirms abortion as a constitutional right, but upholds PA’s pre-abortion counseling requirement and other access restrictive aspects of the Abortion Control Act. The idea of ‘fetal viability’ is developed, laying the foundation for further attacks on reproductive health and justice.
  • 2010s state implementations of Targeted Regulation of Abortion Provider (TRAP) laws, or legislation designed to force abortion clinics to meet burdensome and unfounded criteria (i.e. mandating costly sinks and physical properties).

Anti-abortion centers aka Fake Clinics aka Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Anti-abortion centers (AACs) also known as Crisis Pregnancy Centers are unlicensed  faith-based, anti-abortion clinics that use taxpayer dollars to manipulate, deceive, and lie to pregnant people.

AACs claim to offer 4 types of "free" resources: medical, social services, community, and individual. They advertise these resources as a way to get people in the door and, once they are inside, staff will begin to expose people to harmful false information regarding the persons pregnancy, gestational period, prenatal care, and abortion care options. In addition to giving pregnant people false information, AACs can also require people to take specific faith-based courses and anti-abortion workshops in order to earn the “free” resources they promised. Not only is this tactic coercive but, it creates a delay  between the pregnant person seeking and actually obtaining the medical, emotional, and material support they need.

In addition to the coercive tactics named above, one of the key ways that AACs are able to get people in the door is through deception. Often times AACs:

  • Located near real abortion clinics
  • Named very similar to real abortion clinics
  • Utilize “choice” language in their advertisement
  • Do not disclose their religious affiliation
  • Staff wear scrubs and sometimes white coats
  • Do not disclose that they are not licensed healthcare providers

How are AACs legal?

In the state of Pennsylvania AACs are run by Real Alternatives as it is contractor for the PA Department of Human Services’ “Alternative to Abortion” program. This means that Real Alternatives is funded with both state and federal dollars, Tax Payer Money.

Since 1996, Real Alternatives has received more than $90 million dollars in state funding. In February 2021, it was awarded another $7,263,000 dollars ($6,263,000 in state funding and $1,000,000 in TANF dollars)*.  

*Real Alternative claims that through their anti-abortion centers they offer social services resources, this allows them to get TANF funding.

Learn more:

Emerging threats

FDA Medication abortion case

From Planned Parenthood:

“A group of anti-abortion activists and organizations have sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over its approval of mifepristone, one of two medications most commonly used in medication abortion in the United States. In the Texas case, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration et al, the plaintiffs asked the court to order the FDA to rescind its approval of mifepristone from more than 20 years ago, in order to remove it from the market. This case was deliberately filed in the Amarillo division of the Northern District of Texas, a single-judge division where the cases are automatically assigned to Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk.

The case could result in a devastating nationwide ban on mifepristone — even in states where abortion is protected — and compromise access to medication abortion across the country.”


For more information check out this brief from the Center of Reproductive Rights, the ACLU, and Planned Parenthood.

SB 1 fka  SB 106/SB 956 

Pennsylvania may not currently have a total ban on abortion, but they are trying to by introducing an amendment to the state constitution that would criminalize not only abortion, but other critical reproductive healthcare as well.

From our friends at the Women’s Law Project:

“Pennsylvania’s anti-abortion lawmakers have signaled they will spend this new session continuing to ignore the needs of constituents and instead obsessively strategize how to restrict and ban abortion in Pennsylvania.

Right now, the biggest threats to abortion access are constitutional amendments.

While constitutional amendments were historically advanced to affirm a right, these cynical efforts seek to eliminate our rights under the Pennsylvania state constitution. This strategy is right out of the national anti-abortion movement’s playbook: now that our federal right to abortion has been eliminated at the U.S. Supreme Court, the anti-abortion movement is focused on eliminating our rights at the state level.

Practically speaking, Pennsylvania’s anti-abortion lawmakers have resorted to gouging our rights out of the state constitution via constitutional amendments because they can’t get their unpopular and dangerous legislation passed into law in a democratic system without leapfrogging the executive branch and nullifying the judicial branch: constitutional amendments can’t be vetoed by the governor, and they eliminate state constitutional litigation as a tool to challenge over-reaching laws.

Meanwhile, in October, WLP attorneys asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to affirm that our state constitutional rights include the right to reproductive autonomy in a case that also challenges the state’s discriminatory ban on Medicaid coverage of abortion. That case is called Allegheny Reproductive Health Center v. Pennsylvania DHS. We are currently awaiting a ruling

Update on the Anti-Abortion Constitutional Amendment

We have told you about the anti-abortion constitutional amendment: its sole purpose is to pave the way to ban abortion in Pennsylvania.

It passed last session during a notorious midnight raid on our rights and would have to pass once more this session to appear as a ballot question on an election day. The anti-abortion constitutional amendment has not moved yet this new session and, given the new composition of the Pennsylvania House, may not advance this session. However, we must all stay vigilant and sustain strong opposition until this amendment expires at the end of 2024.

New Threat: “Back-Door” Restrictions via “Regulatory” Constitutional Amendment

Given the decreased likelihood of the anti-abortion amendment passing the state House this session, anti-abortion lawmakers have shifted focus to a back-door way to restrict access to abortion and related reproductive healthcare by advancing a broader “regulatory” amendment that is sponsored by Senator Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster).

This amendment, which also already passed once last session, would deprive state agencies of their current regulatory authority by handing more power over proposed regulations to state lawmakers. For example, the amendment could effectively strip the health department of the power to regulate telemedicine by giving the state legislature more power to disapprove regulations.

Anti-abortion lawmakers tacked the regulatory amendment onto a voter ID/voter suppression constitutional amendment sponsored by Senator Daniel Laughlin (R-Erie) before adding a third, long-anticipated good constitutional amendment that would provide civil legal relief for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, sponsored by Senator Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming).

Collectively, that package is now called Senate Bill 1, or SB1.

In other words, anti-abortion lawmakers devised a scheme to stack unrelated amendments in a way that makes it impossible for lawmakers to vote to support rape victims without also voting to give anti-abortion lawmakers inappropriate regulatory powers and the ability to suppress voters.

SB 1 already passed the state Senate.”

Know your power

Reproductive justice poli-ed

Abortion support does not begin in the moment one needs an abortion: it is all the circumstances and social locations leading up to that, a person or community’s access to networks of support and resources. It is for that reason that we must think about abortion in terms of a reproductive justice framework.

Reproductive justice as coined by feminists of color in the 90s is a framework defined by: the right to have a child, the right to not have a child, and the right to raise families in safe and sustainable communities.

You can learn more about the history of RJ as a framework from the Sistersong website here.

Here are some resources on reproductive justice to get you started (or help you dive even deeper):  

  • Books
  • Articles & reports
  • Audio/video

Take action 

  • Educate - use our offerings above and take time to learn up on the fight for abortion access and reproductive justice.
  • Stigma bust - Do some stigma busting and talk about abortion with your people. Anti-abortion legislators and activists rely on shame, stigma, and misinformation to attack our reproductive freedom. We need our culture around abortion to shift and that happens one person at a time.
  • New or struggling with conversations about abortion? Check out this guide from our friends at the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project