First, take a deep breath. In and out. You aren’t alone. Even if you are in a state with extreme restrictions on reproductive health care or you are in a rural place that is far from any clinic or services, know that there are thousands of organizations, individuals and networks working hard to get you the care you need and deserve.

Finding the local abortion fund in your region can be a crucial resource for understanding options and limitations based on your specific situation and location. While looking up resources on the internet remember to use private browsers (that don’t track your search history) and a VPN so that your IP address isn’t linked to your identity/devise. Once you’ve taken some basic online precautions, the National Network of Abortion Funds is a great place to start to learn clinical options. If you are seeking to self-manage your abortion with medication and are before 13 weeks gestation, Aid Access provides medication abortions. Depending on your state you may also have access to tele-medicine options that can ship you medication. If you have questions or concerns about the legal status of your pursuit of an abortion, the Repro Legal Helpline is staffed by lawyers specializing in abortion and reproductive law.

An abortion doula is someone who provides compassionate and non-judgmental physical, mental and emotional support to someone seeking an abortion. Whether in person or remote, a doula can help someone understand their options, share ways to improve overall comfort through advocacy, logistical support, and aftercare. It might be holding someone’s hand during a procedure, reminding them of medication schedules, monitoring physical symptoms, reinforcing what is normal and what needs medical attention, and helping around the home with tasks like cooking, cleaning, pet and childcare. Some people find healing in creating a ritual to help them process their experience.

Holistic Repro Project has annual abortion doula trainings where students will learn about supporting people through their abortions, no matter their method or location. These queer and trans-inclusive trainings are two days and centered on client experience, understanding the roles of privilege and positionality between doulas and clients, and tips of improving comfort based off of personal and collectively shared experience.

If you have the resources, please consider donating to support this doula program.