For more information on What is an Abortion? and Abortion Safety and Privacy, please read their respective fact sheets.
How can I protect my digital privacy when seeking information online about abortion or receiving care?
In an increasingly digital world, there are more records of what type of information people are searching for and where they are searching for it. It's possible that this type of data can be used to prosecute those who are seeking an abortion or helping someone else seek an abortion.
In order to protect yourself, there are a number of ways you can protect your privacy:
- Use browsers and search engines with more intensive privacy settings, such as DuckDuckGo, Firefox, and Brave.
- Turn off all browser features related to site data, cookies, caching, and browser history.
- Use contact information that is completely separate from your primary forms of contact.
- You can get a secondary phone number through Google Voice, Hushed, or Burner.
- You can get a secondary, secure email address at Tutanota or ProtonMail.
- You can use a messaging app such as Signal which has end-to-end encryption, has settings to allow messages to disappear, and doesn’t collect data about its users.
- Review all privacy settings on your mobile phone.
- If you use any health apps to track your period, review their policies on data sharing, such as whether the app owns your data, where the data is stored, and whether it is sold to advertisers.
- If you feel uncomfortable with the policies, you could switch to an app with privacy policies that better align with your values or switch to tracking manually with paper and pencil.
- If you use any health apps to track your period, review their policies on data sharing, such as whether the app owns your data, where the data is stored, and whether it is sold to advertisers.
How do I find an abortion care provider?
Due to the changing legal landscape in the United States, access to abortion can vary by state. In order to find an abortion provider, organizations such as the National Abortion Federation have resources such as their Find a Provider page, which can help those seeking abortion services filter by their location to find a provider closest to them. They provide the name, location, and contact information of clinics that provide these services. They also note any specific restrictions that a state or location may have regarding abortion services.
To learn about what services are available in your state, the Guttmacher Institute has an interactive map that tracks the abortion policies around the country. They keep this map up to date, noting the policies from the most restrictive policies to those that are the most protective of abortion access. This includes policies related to insurance coverage for abortion, telemedicine being used to provide abortion care, parental consent, how far into pregnancy an abortion is permitted, and the number of trips required before an abortion is performed, among other policies. If you are looking to find out more about what access you have to medication abortion in your state, organizations such as Plan C provide information about accessing abortion pills in each state.
How can I tell if a health clinic will help me get an abortion?
When searching for care, note that some centers will identify themselves as women’s health clinics, sometimes calling themselves crisis pregnancy centers or pregnancy resource centers. In many instances, these clinics aren’t real medical clinics. Due to this, they aren’t required to follow the laws around the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). They also aren’t required to provide accurate health information, and their goals often include spreading disinformation about sexual health including birth control and abortion. Many of them explicitly try to pressure those seeking an abortion out of receiving one. They may provide inaccurate information with the purpose of confusing or dissuading the person seeking services. They may also be vague about the services they provide.
If you’re unsure if a clinic is a medical clinic or a crisis pregnancy center, calling them to explicitly ask if they provide abortions or birth control can be useful. Any organization that is unclear about the services they provide, dissuading someone from seeking those services, claims that abortion is unsafe or can be reversed, or makes negative comments about reproductive health (such as about abortion, condoms, birth control, or various types of sexual activity), among other practices, is likely to be a crisis pregnancy center. Checking their website for similar language or to see what services they provide may also provide some insight. You can also search online using tools such as the Crisis Pregnancy Center Map
I don’t have insurance/my insurance doesn’t cover abortion services. How do I pay for an abortion?
Many clinics and organizations have support for those looking to pay for an abortion. Some clinics have low-fee or sliding scales to help pay for the cost of the procedure. Abortion funds can also help to pay for any abortion-related costs. This can include the procedure, and for those who need to travel to receive abortion care, travel expenses, food, lodging, and childcare. Organizations such as the National Network of Abortion Funds provide databases to help people locate funds that may be able to support them. Additionally, some companies have pledged to pay these costs for their employees as part of their employee benefits.
Disclaimer: Go Ask Alice! provides health information and should not be considered specific medical advice, a diagnosis, treatment, or a second opinion for health conditions. Any products or organizations referenced on the Go Ask Alice! website are not an endorsement of said product or organization. They are intended as a reference point and all readers are encouraged to do their own research before using.
Last reviewed/updated: December 9, 2022