In a recent series of NowThis videos, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC (PPMW) Chief Medical Officer Dr. Serina Floyd shares valuable insights on powerful patient and staff experiences. Published on Instagram, this three-part video series dives into how PPMW’s medical team has risen to meet the complex and urgent needs of patients from places like Florida and Georgia following abortion bans in those states.
Care. No matter what.
A patient from Florida traveled to PPMW for a medication abortion, only to find out that she was too many weeks into pregnancy to receive one. Unfortunately, this patient’s visit took place on a day when PPMW was not scheduled to provide procedural abortions. Despite this, members of our health services team reorganized schedules and called in the required resources to provide the patient with the abortion care she needed, when she needed it.
Traveling to reach care
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, PPMW health centers have seen a significant rise in patients traveling from Southern states for care. In the first month after Florida’s six-week abortion ban went into effect, PPMW saw more patients coming from Florida than in the previous 8 months combined. In the months since then, the proportion of PPMW patients coming from outside the DC metro area increased from 6% to 15%. With abortion bans now affecting the entire Southeastern U.S., patients must travel hundreds of miles to access this essential health care that used to be available in their home communities.
Essential support
Recently, a patient traveling long-distance to PPMW for care was preparing to find a homeless shelter to stay in while awaiting her appointment, after a bus delay meant her appointment had to shift to the next day. The PPMW team was able to coordinate lodging, transportation, and food assistance for her, providing her with a sense of safety and security as well as the essential support she needed to access care.
Help PPMW provide access to abortion care for both local patients and those traveling from Florida and other states with abortion bans. Donate today to the PPMW Abortion Access Fund.
Tags: Abortion Access