This week, I had planned to write about trans fashion. Then, on Monday, a draft decision was leaked from the Supreme Court indicating that Roe v. Wade is about to be overturned.
This news has folks understandably panicked, particularly trans, fat, and non-white people who already struggle to get contraceptive care. So I've chosen to devote this week to talking about this decision, what it means, and how to care for ourselves if it becomes final.
First of all, let's all take a moment to acknowledge: this sucks. This is horrifying and scary, and there's a lot indicating that if this decision goes through, it'll open the way to reversing queer marriage and other protections. It's okay to be sad, scared, and angry.
Second of all, I keep seeing people (largely cis men) responding to this news by telling others to go vote - even in contexts where people are still processing the news. Two things about this:
- If you are a person who responds this way to uterus-havers expressing fear and anger, please know that this is obnoxious behavior and you should stop.
- Voting only does so much. We do not vote on Supreme Court justices, and we do not have a system that allows true progressives to get far. Don't forget that the Democratic Party has chosen on multiple occasions not to codify abortion access while they had a supermajority; do not forget that every election, they use the threat of Roe v. Wade being overturned to get people to vote blue. Now that it's happening, I haven't seen jack shit from any national-level Democratic official except AOC. Also, voting in six months doesn't do a damn thing about right now. Voting is important, but it will not save us now.
Third of all, I've seen a lot of people talking about adoption as an alternative to birth in this specific context, so let me share what I've been hearing from adoptees in my life: adoption is trauma. Some of the adoptees in my life were lucky; they were adopted into safe, loving families with as little trauma as possible and got to retain access to their records. Others were not so lucky; they were adopted into abusive families, lost access to their birth families and health histories, and walked away with trauma both from the adoptions themselves and the subsequent years with their adoptive families.
Adoption can be an amazing thing, but it is not a primary solution. If you want to be a parent without birthing, consider fostering (with the intent of reunification when possible), or get a pet. If you would like to eventually birth but on your own schedule, do not rush into a hysterectomy or other non-reversible procedure because of this news.
Fourth and finally, remember: cis women are not the only people who can get pregnant. Don't leave trans men and nonbinary people with uteruses out of this conversation; we're at as much risk as anyone else, if not more.
Now that we've talked through the social dynamics, let's talk about abortion itself. It's important to know that while abortion will still be legal in some states, it will be harder for those out of state to access. Here are some tips to keep yourself safe:
PREVENTATIVE AND PREPARATIVE MEASURES:
- If you or a partner with a uterus can use it, stock up on Plan B, Ella, and other pills that can be used to stop or terminate an early pregnancy. Please remember that Plan B is ineffective if you are over 155 pounds and Ella is ineffective if you're over 195. Yes, some people do still succeed over that limit, but those people are very very lucky and you cannot count on having the same luck.
- Start planning your vacation to a legal state. If you have friends who live in legal states, find someone who could host you if needed.
- Delete your period tracker. The majority of period trackers can and will sell your information to the government. (Clue recently released a statement saying that they will not do so, but frankly, I wouldn't trust any corporation.)
- Always use two forms of birth control!
- Do not "double-bag" with condoms; this does not count as two forms of birth control, and is actually riskier, as the friction can cause both condoms to break.
- If you can, get an IUD or other long-term birth control now.
- If you are on Medicaid, you can get sterilized!
IF YOU GET PREGNANT:
- Do not tell people you're pregnant.
- Wear a hoodie and keep your head down buying any test. Pay cash.
- Do not get your pregnancy test through your doctor; they may have to report that you are pregnant.
- If you can avoid asking others for help, do. If you must ask for help, use code.
- Join an auntie network to get help.
- Do not email or text about an abortion; only speak over the phone, and on a burner if needed.
- If you are found out, do not speak to anyone without your lawyer, no matter how much they try to scare you.
- Here is information on abortion pills. They may not be accessible to you, but then again they might be.
Now that we've been through the basics, I'm turning this over to my partner Juneau, a doula and herbalist, to write about abortifacient herbs and other abortion methods.
Self-Managed Abortion May Be Our Future
Hello, my name is Juneau Samuel. I’m an herbalist, a DONA International-trained birth doula, and an aspiring childbirth educator. I’m also Jo’s partner. Today, I’m fortunate enough to be a guest writer in Jo’s space, though I wish the subject was itself more fortunate.
Just a few days ago, a shocking Supreme Court draft document was released. The contents of this document indicate an initial majority vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling that has protected the right to safe and legal abortion in the United States for the past 49 years.
While several states would retain legal protections of abortion, the overturning of Roe v. Wade would result in the immediate criminalization of abortion in at least thirteen states, with the possibility of many other states quickly following suit.
It is possible that a ruling will take place as early as June 2022. Suddenly, the future of abortion access in up to 33 states is utterly uncertain.
As a birth doula, it’s my honor to help expectant parents happily welcome babies into their families. I do this while also recognizing and honoring the many reasons why individuals choose to terminate a pregnancy. Inviable pregnancies, high-risk health situations, and inability to provide for a child are just a few reasons why it may be necessary for someone to have an abortion. It is not my job, nor anyone else’s, to judge someone for making this difficult decision. For 49 years, it has been their legal right to do so.
For fear of rapidly decreasing access to clinical abortions, I am sharing some of my knowledge about self-managed abortions, the medications mifepristone and misoprostol, herbal abortifacients, and protecting yourself legally.
On Self-Managed Abortion and Accessing Abortion Pills:
A self-managed abortion is an abortion that takes place at home without the guidance of a clinician. Most people who choose to have a self-managed abortion do so by using abortion pills. The most effective method is the combination of misoprostol and mifepristone. A pregnancy of up to 12 weeks can be terminated through the use of these medications.
At this time, you can still access these pills through the guidance of a clinician. And if you are not near an in-person clinic or you are concerned for your safety when accessing a clinic, there are telehealth services, such as Hey Jane, where you can meet online with a clinician who will prescribe these medications for you. This being said, with the possibility of clinician-supported abortions disappearing in some states, I feel it is important to share resources on self-managed abortion.
Accessing abortion pills online without a clinician’s support costs an average of $200 at this time. Two valuable resources for those seeking a self-managed abortion through the use of mifepristone and misoprostol: www.plancpills.org and www.abortionpillinfo.org.
Please be advised that abortion pills should not be used if:
You are more than 12 weeks pregnant.
You have an IUD; it must be removed first.
You have an ectopic pregnancy, or an implantation outside the uterus.
You have any kind of hemorrhagic disorder.
You cannot access emergency care within 2 hours.
You are alone.
On Mifepristone and Misoprostol:
As mentioned previously, the medications taken in a self-managed abortion are typically mifespristone and misoprostol.
Mifepristone works by blocking progesterone production; progesterone is necessary to sustain a viable pregnancy. Misoprostol works by causing the uterus to contract and empty. The combination of these two medications, when taken correctly, can be up to 98% effective at terminating a pregnancy.
At this time, there is no means of testing for mifepristone or misoprostol in your blood or urine. If you take these medications and feel it is necessary to seek emergency medical attention after, you can simply tell the clinicians that you believe you are experiencing a miscarriage.
On Abortifacient Herbs and Herbal Abortions:
Abortifacients prevent embryo implantation or cause the uterus to contract and empty, thereby terminating a pregnancy.
Please be advised: the majority of abortifacients are known to be most effective in the first six weeks of pregnancy. Later use of abortifacients is much less likely to be effective and comes with the increased risk of incomplete abortion. That’s why it is extremely important that in the case of herbal abortions, they are attempted early. Because of the risk of possible overdose, it is important to take these herbs as a tea (and not as a tincture or essential oil).
The two abortifacients I am covering are cotton root, or Gossypium herbaceum, and zoapatle, or Montanoa tomentosa and Montanoa frutescens.
Cotton root functions similarly to mifepristone in the sense that it shuts down the body's ability to produce progesterone, thereby creating an antiprogesterone effect. It also stimulates uterine contractions, similar to misoprostol, due to its oxytocic properties. It is prepared via decoction: four ounces of fresh root are boiled in a quart of water until only a pint of water is left. 1-2 fl ounces should be ingested every 20-30 minutes.
Zoapatle has been used in Mexico since antiquity to induce abortions and to aid in childbirth, and has been significantly studied - on an ethnobotanical, agricultural, pharmacologic, and clinical level - for its abortifacient properties. An infusion of tea is made by extracting zoapatle leaves with hot water for several hours.
If you are choosing an herbal abortion, I highly recommend that you consult an experienced herbalist (preferably one located in a state with abortion protections) and, just like a medical abortion, that you do not attempt it alone.
On Issues of Weight:
As a fat person myself, I am especially aware that emergency contraceptives such as Plan B and Ella have weight limits of 155 and 195 respectively, and that the only effective emergency contraception for people over this weight threshold is an emergency IUD implantation.
The use of misoprostol and mifepristone carries significantly lower risk than a surgical abortion does for fat people, and has been proven to be effective. At this time, professionals have concluded that obesity does not complicate medical abortion.
Significantly less research surrounding herbal abortifacients has taken place, so it is difficult for me to say whether weight impacts the efficacy of these methods. If you are concerned, I would recommend sticking with a self-managed medical abortion.
Protecting Yourself Legally:
Lastly, I’d like to cover some information about protecting yourself legally in regards to self-managed abortion.
Self-managed Abortion: Safe and Supported (SASS), a project aimed at helping people with uteruses abort safely, recommends keeping your research about abortion private through the following measures:
Use Signal for free, secure texting and phone calls.
Use Protonmail for free, secure email.
Use DuckDuckGo for private searches without online tracking.
Read the Surveillance Self-Defense guide to online privacy. It’s easy to understand and updated regularly with recommendations for the safest online communication tools – and instructions on how to install and use them properly.
Get free information about the law and self-managed abortion online, by phone, or through a secure form.
Look up information on the Euki reproductive health app.
As mentioned before, in the event that it is necessary to seek emergency medical care, all you need to say is that you believe you are experiencing a miscarriage. There is no medical test that is able to determine whether or not you’ve taken mifepristone and/or misoprostol at this time, so unless you tell the clinicians that you took these medications, no one will know. If you live in a state without abortion protections, it is best to keep this information private. Otherwise, you run the risk of being reported for using medication to end your pregnancy.
At this time, only 24 people have been charged in relation to self-managed abortion, though the majority of those charges were dropped. www.reprolegalhelpline.org can provide resources and information in the event that you find yourself in any legal trouble.
If You Have More Questions:
While it is my hope that Roe v. Wade is upheld and access to clinician-supported abortion continues throughout the United States, I hope that this information and compilation of resources is helpful to individuals choosing self-managed abortions.
In the event that you need more support or have further questions on self-managed abortion, SASS has a secure contact form where you can reach trained counselors who are available 15 hours a day and speak several languages. You can also reach out to me at juneau.rising@gmail.com.
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