After the Supreme Court overturned our federal right to access abortion care in June 2022, Idaho and twelve other states enacted abortion bans that put patients and providers at risk. These laws are dangerous to people’s health and try to criminalize abortion providers, even here in Washington, for taking care of people.
We at Pro-Choice Washington — along with Cedar River Clinics, Northwest Abortion Access Fund, AAUW of Washington State, LegalVoice, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and Northern Idaho, League of Women Voters of Washington, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, and other members of the Northwest Abortion & Gender Justice Coalition — work to make sure that Washington state is a safe place for abortion seekers. To let everyone know that they are welcome to find abortion care here, we launched social media posts, and put up billboards in Eastern Washington and posters across the state.
Showing that Washington State is a Compassionate State for Abortion Seekers
Washington state legalized abortion in 1991 after decades of work by activists. Since then, Washington members of the Northwest Abortion & Gender Justice Coalition have made it cheaper and easier to get quality reproductive healthcare across the state.
Due to our work, insurance companies in Washington cover abortion care, contraceptives, and postpartum care. All schools across the state are required to teach high-quality, accurate, and inclusive sex education. Hospitals are not allowed to deny patients miscarriage care, and patients in Eastern Washington have access to a new clinic, as of this year.
Eastern Washington is now the closest abortion location for people in Idaho, forcing patients to potentially travel hundreds of miles to get abortion care. We want everyone looking for care to know that they are welcome here.
What were the results of the Future of Abortion campaign?
The campaign reached over 178,000 Instagram users in Western Washington and brought nearly 1,200 visitors to the campaign web site, with a click-through rate of nearly nine percent. Through the campaign, we:
- Informed people living in and seeking care in Washington that our state is a sanctuary state and a place for compassionate care;
- Countered the many well-funded and increasing misinformation campaigns that aim to confuse and intimidate patients seeking legal abortion care in our state; and
- Highlighted the importance of joining the reproductive freedom movement, especially in this critical post-Roe moment.
Looking for abortion care in Washington?
These tools can help everyone find the care they need and know their rights.
Find Abortion Providers in Washington State: A comprehensive resource center, provided by the Washington State Department of Health, where and how to access abortion care in Washington state.
Use the Repro Legal Helpline to Ask Questions about Your Rights: The Repro Legal Helpline is a free, confidential helpline where you can get legal information or advice about self-managed abortion, young people’s access to abortion or judicial bypass, and referrals to local resources
How You Can Help Ensure Washington State Remains Safe for Abortion Seekers
Coalition members, alongside our providers across the state, are preparing for an exponential increase in patients needing care in Washington.
We’ll be seeing an increase of 385 percent, which is a lot of people. [Then], imagine that being increased significantly.
—Dr. Anuj Khattar of Cedar River Clinics, June 2022, KOMO News
It is now the responsibility of every Washingtonian to not only protect these reproductive rights, but to remove all barriers to accessing abortion care for every person in Washington for generations to come.
Join the Conversation
Our Learn How to Speak About Abortion guide is a critical resource for anyone who wants to learn how to have meaningful conversations to help end abortion stigma.
Stay Educated
Sign up for our mailing list for more resources like the how to speak about abortion access guide, find out about organized events in your community that you can attend, and stay up to date on how we are working to ensure Washington state is a model for the Future of Abortion.
Meet the Campaign Coalition Partners
Abortion advocates, abortion providers, and abortion funds are joined together to make sure the Northwest is the best place to receive abortion care.
Help Us Be Able to Launch More Campaigns
Become a member of Pro-Choice Washington and join a statewide network of powerful advocates for abortion access and health equity.
