To protect abortion access, we must educate and empower

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MADISON — Today, Planned Parenthood announced it would resume providing abortion care Monday in Wisconsin. This announcement comes after nearly 15 months of abortion being unavailable to most Wisconsinites, with Planned Parenthood choosing to suspend services following the Dobbs decision. Many Wisconsinites have been forced to travel out of state or obtain medication abortion online to access abortion. 

In response to this announcement, Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) issued the following statement: 

“This is a welcome decision for patients. For the past 15 months, abortion has been unavailable in Wisconsin, forcing people to travel out of state to receive necessary medical care. No one’s rights or freedom should be limited by where they live, or the whims of a judge, politician, or corporation. 

“Criminalizing abortion does not stop abortion — just this week, data from the Guttmacher Institute shows that the number of abortions in Illinois and Minnesota, and nationally, has risen substantially, despite abortion being unavailable in wide swaths of the country.

“While we must continue to fight for constitutional protection of reproductive rights in our statehouses and courtrooms, we must also educate and empower ourselves and each other. Medication abortion should be available over the counter. 

“Until that happens, everyone should get an advance prescription for medication abortion, to have in our medicine cabinets before we need it. Every American can order it safely and affordably online from AidAccess.org.”

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