The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, taking away our federal constitutional right to abortion. This decision allowed extremists across the country to ban abortion and deny women and all people who can become pregnant control over their bodies and their futures.
Despite this ruling, abortion rights matter to voters across the country. This past election, voters passed measures to protect abortion in Arizona, Colorado, New York, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, and Nevada. According to the Pew Research center, legal abortion is deeply popular, with 63% of respondents saying that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
The D.C. Council has also been a champion of reproductive rights, including passing a law in 2017 that made it illegal to discriminate against health care professionals who provide or publicly support abortions. The Council also passed two laws in 2022 that secure D.C. as a safe haven for all people's reproductive freedom — B24-0808 the Human Rights Sanctuary Amendment Act of 2022 and B24-0726 the Enhancing Reproductive Health Protections Amendment Act of 2022.
But because the District is not yet a state, Congress, where D.C. residents have no voting representation, has control over District laws and budgets, and has regularly restricted access to abortion care. For example, the Dornan Amendment currently prevents Medicaid dollars from being spent on abortions. Because abortion is not federally protected anymore, an anti-D.C. Congress could try to restrict or even ban abortion in D.C. Restrictions would especially impact Black people’s access to this critical healthcare, as in 2019, 53% of abortions in the District were obtained by Black people.
Here’s what you need to know about abortion in D.C., and what you can do to ensure that every person in D.C. can get a safe abortion when they need it.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT ABORTION IN D.C.
- Abortion at any stage of pregnancy is legal – including late-stage and third trimester procedures. To learn more about or to schedule abortion services in the District, contact these providers or visit Metro D.C.’s Planned Parenthood’s website.
- People younger than 18 do not need to notify or get permission from parents to get an abortion. Check out the Young Women’s Project for more information and support.
- People can travel to the District to get a legal abortion. D.C. has long been a safe haven for people from states that restrict abortion. The National Network of Abortion Funds shows which abortion funds can help pay for travel and lodging.
- Medicaid cannot pay for abortions in D.C. because of Congress. Because D.C. is not yet a state, Congress, where D.C. residents have no voting representation, has control how District dollars are spent. Right now, the Dornan Amendment prevents Medicaid dollars from being spent on abortions.
- Abortion funding is available through the DC Abortion Fund (202-452-7564) and the National Network of Abortion Funds.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT AND EXPAND ABORTION IN D.C.
- Donate to the DC Abortion Fund (DCAF) and the Brigid Alliance. Even with legal abortion, many people struggle to get the care they need. People who need an abortion but cannot afford one can get their healthcare paid for by an abortion fund. DCAF is the go-to abortion fund for the D.C. region, so make your donation here. Additionally, the Brigid Alliance, provides travel, food, lodging, childcare, and other logistical support for people seeking abortions, prioritizing those beyond 15 weeks of pregnancy, when abortion care can be more expensive and difficult to access.
- Volunteer with the DMV Abortion Practical Support Network and Planned Parenthood of Metro D.C. There is so much on-the-ground work to do to make sure anyone who needs an abortion in D.C. can get one. From administrative tasks to escorting people to a clinic, and everywhere in between, there are lots of ways to plug in. In addition to filling immediate volunteer needs, you can also contact DC Doulas for Choice if you are interested in being trained to support people throughout the abortion process, as part of their next cohort.
- Share your abortion story with Shout Your Abortion or Planned Parenthood of Metro D.C. Abortion is healthcare, and abortion is normal. If you want to share your abortion story, it can go a long way to de-stigmatize a normal medical procedure.
- Sign up here to stay informed about protecting D.C. Home Rule and making D.C. a state. The only way to fully guarantee a right to a safe abortion in D.C. is to make D.C. a state. Residents of the District should have democratic control over local abortion access and not put our rights in the hands of Congresspeople we cannot elect. While we build toward statehood, we now must defend our Home Rule right to make our own abortion laws.
The ACLU of D.C. will never stop fighting for our right to decide when and if to have a child. We the People of D.C. can and will work together to provide safe and accessible abortions for all.
