Posted on Jul 7, 2022
A Dutch doctor and the internet are making sure Americans have access to abortion pills
366
10
2
7
7
0
A little-known European medical team is poised to become one of the most important groups in the shifting landscape of U.S. abortion bans.
Aid Access, an online-only service run by a Dutch physician, Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, began shipping abortion pills to Americans from abroad four years ago. The organization’s team consists of about four doctors supervising about 10 medical staff members, and they’re difficult for U.S. authorities to reach because all are outside the country and they ship pills from a pharmacy in India.
Opponents of abortion rights have so far largely found themselves powerless to stop Aid Access from mailing abortion pills even to the most conservative corners of the country, at least while the organization’s opponents don’t control the White House. That has transformed Aid Access nearly overnight from an obscure overseas group into an essential part of the effort to keep abortion accessible nationwide.
Aid Access, an online-only service run by a Dutch physician, Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, began shipping abortion pills to Americans from abroad four years ago. The organization’s team consists of about four doctors supervising about 10 medical staff members, and they’re difficult for U.S. authorities to reach because all are outside the country and they ship pills from a pharmacy in India.
Opponents of abortion rights have so far largely found themselves powerless to stop Aid Access from mailing abortion pills even to the most conservative corners of the country, at least while the organization’s opponents don’t control the White House. That has transformed Aid Access nearly overnight from an obscure overseas group into an essential part of the effort to keep abortion accessible nationwide.
A Dutch doctor and the internet are making sure Americans have access to abortion pills
Posted from nbcnews.com
Europe
Abortion
Medical
Health
Pharmaceuticals
Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 2
3
3
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."It’s not clear whether any state or federal prosecutor plans to pursue action against Aid Access directly. The Mississippi attorney general’s office, which argued the case that led to last month’s Supreme Court ruling, didn’t respond to a request for comment.
“It’s just futile to try to stop mifepristone and misoprostol. They’re perfectly safe, especially early on,” Hearn said.
Nonetheless, abortion rights opponents have proposed even harsher penalties aimed at online prescriptions of abortion pills. The National Right to Life Committee published a model state law on its website that would, if states adopt it, make it a felony to maintain a website giving instructions for self-managed abortions, but enforcement would remain a challenge.
One of the few things limiting the reach of Aid Access is that it’s still not well known. Gomperts criticized social media apps such as Instagram and Facebook for removing posts about abortion services.
“The freedom of speech is one of the key constitutional rights in the U.S., but because of these laws, even that right is under stress because people are so afraid,” she said.
The lack of awareness is something that abortion rights advocates and some physicians hope will change, even if Aid Access becomes a lightning rod similar to Planned Parenthood.
Gomperts said her goal is for Aid Access to eventually become unnecessary.
“It shouldn’t have to be a foreign organization,” she said. “What should happen in the end is that the states like New York and California, liberal states, they should just make it possible for the doctors and providers there to ship the pills to the other states.”
..."It’s not clear whether any state or federal prosecutor plans to pursue action against Aid Access directly. The Mississippi attorney general’s office, which argued the case that led to last month’s Supreme Court ruling, didn’t respond to a request for comment.
“It’s just futile to try to stop mifepristone and misoprostol. They’re perfectly safe, especially early on,” Hearn said.
Nonetheless, abortion rights opponents have proposed even harsher penalties aimed at online prescriptions of abortion pills. The National Right to Life Committee published a model state law on its website that would, if states adopt it, make it a felony to maintain a website giving instructions for self-managed abortions, but enforcement would remain a challenge.
One of the few things limiting the reach of Aid Access is that it’s still not well known. Gomperts criticized social media apps such as Instagram and Facebook for removing posts about abortion services.
“The freedom of speech is one of the key constitutional rights in the U.S., but because of these laws, even that right is under stress because people are so afraid,” she said.
The lack of awareness is something that abortion rights advocates and some physicians hope will change, even if Aid Access becomes a lightning rod similar to Planned Parenthood.
Gomperts said her goal is for Aid Access to eventually become unnecessary.
“It shouldn’t have to be a foreign organization,” she said. “What should happen in the end is that the states like New York and California, liberal states, they should just make it possible for the doctors and providers there to ship the pills to the other states.”
(3)
(0)
0
0
0
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google