A quick explanation of why this policy is vital and extremely urgent: 

1) As New York becomes a destination state for abortion access post-Roe, our clinics will experience immense demand from patients from out of state and increased protests from anti-abortion groups. We can reduce wait times and funding pressure for clinics by making on-campus abortion pills available to students.

2) On-campus provision helps make insurance coverage easier and reduces travel time and informational barriers. According to the most recent data available from the Guttmacher Institute, 39% of counties in New York State are without a known clinic.

3) We cannot let extremists exceptionalize and politicize abortion care. Medication abortion is common, extremely safe, and completely in line with the other services offered in primary care settings.  It is 98% effective and considered medically safer than Tylenol. Having an abortion is associated with a lower risk than continuing a pregnancy and giving birth.

This is not a fringe idea. California requires public universities to provide medication abortion. Massachusetts recently passed a bill mandating the same for its universities. More than 54% of abortions in the United States are done with abortion pills. Patients take two pills, mifepristone and misoprostol, to end their pregnancy until 12 weeks. In NY state, Nurse-Practitioners, Physician-Assistants, and Nurse-Midwives can provide medication abortion in-clinic, meaning that all primary care medical professionals would be able to provide medication abortion in a clinical setting.