Medication abortion survived its day in court. Now, we need to expand its availability so everyone has bodily autonomy.

Medication abortion has become a keystone for abortion access, now accounting for more than 60% of all abortions in the United States. Because of this, anti-abortion activists continue to attack its availability. In June, the Supreme Court rebuked a lawsuit by anti-abortion activists that tried shaky legal grounds to challenge the approval of medication abortion – but its future is still in danger. Many states have already restricted access to medication abortion.

We know we can’t depend on the courts to defend our reproductive freedom. It’s up to us to fight back.

The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) this year published a groundbreaking report on medication abortion which found that Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) people of reproductive age overwhelmingly have little to no knowledge about medication abortion.  This is exacerbated by language barriers, cultural stigmas, and insurance restrictions that further keep our communities from accessing the care we need.

Abortion stigma is a reality that we know all too well. 

Our research also showed that AANHPI community members want support and deserve more honest and open conversations about our sexual and reproductive health. Together, we need to face down cultural stigmas and barriers to care that prevent us from accessing the full range of abortion care we need.