iowa banned abortion at 6 weeks
but you can still have one - here's how:
Iowa’s abortion ban went into effect today - it bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, before most people realize they’re pregnant. All abortion bans and restrictions infuriate me, but this one is particularly close to home because I had my abortion in Iowa. I’m incredibly grateful for my Iowan abortion (yes, the experience was distinctly Iowan!). I recently found this tiny record of it in my notes app from that morning, before I drove the 66 miles to Emma Goldman Clinic:
If you need an abortion in Iowa:
Visit www.INeedAnA.com for up to date information about how to access abortion care at any stage of pregnancy. Here’s a screenshot showing you how the search function works:
The following orgs can help pay for things like travel, a place to stay, food, and childcare. They can also provide support with figuring out all of the logistics.
Iowa Abortion Access Fund is partnering with Chicago Abortion Fund. Fill out their support request form here. Helpline hours are M-F 6am-3pm and they’ll call you back within 24-36 hours.
Indigenous Women Rising’s abortion fund is open to all Native and Indigenous people in the United States and Canada who have the capacity to become pregnant and are seeking an abortion in the United States. Fill out their support request form. Note: they’re at funding capacity until August 1 and will reopen the form then.
Midwest Access Coalition funds practical support needs (travel, food, etc), not procedures. You can reach them at 847-750-6224 M-Th 9am-5ct, F 9am-noon.
You might need to travel to another state to access care in a clinic. If you can’t travel, you can still have an abortion. Check out Plan C, Aid Access, and Abortion On Our Own Terms for information about how to obtain and use abortion pills.
Self-managing your abortion with pills is medically safe but might be legally risky. Call the Repro Legal Help Line for information about legal risk and ways to protect yourself (www.reprolegalhelpline.org or 844-868-2812. A miscarriage and having an abortion by ingesting pills look clinically identical. If you need to go to a doctor, you can simply say you are having a miscarriage - they will not be able to tell you took abortion pills.
Don’t use social media, email, or text messages to share information about your pregnancy or abortion with anyone. Use an encrypted messaging app, like Signal. Visit www.digitaldefensefund.org for comprehensive information on digital security and reproductive decisions.
If you want to help people in Iowa have abortions regardless of legality:
Donate to any of the orgs I listed above.
Share this post with your friends in Iowa.
Hi friends, thank you so much for being here! It means a lot to me. If you enjoy this newsletter, I’d love it if you’d share A Little Something Sweet with the people you love. I also invite you to upgrade to a paid subscription, which allows me to keep creating here and elsewhere. I’m so grateful, xoxo.
things that permanently live at the bottom of my posts:
Submit your secrets/sparkly moments here.
If you need help accessing abortion care, click here or here.
Grab a copy of my choose-your-own-adventure cookbook, Baking by Feel, here!