In late August, anti-abortion groups successfully purchased the building that Dr Leroy Carhart was operating a clinic in, and terminated the lease abruptly, forcing the clinic to close.
This impacted people from all over the US, and delivered a palpable blow to patients, providers, and abortion funds who had appointments, or made referrals to that clinic.
The good news is: a handful of weeks later (which can translate to higher risk of complications AND a few extra THOUSAND dollars when we’re talking about needing to wait or travel for an abortion) Dr Carhart has been able to secure a new location for his Maryland practice, and is on track to open in just a few days.
This is GREAT news for access! CONGRATULATIONS to all involved in this wonderful development!
Infographic from the Third Wave Foundation
I am so glad he got a new location so quickly.
I am especially glad that I read he plans on using this location to train other providers to perform second and third trimester abortions. The lack number of providers trained to perform these procedures and the age of the few providers was something that really hit home for me when watching After Tiller.
I suppose that much like people who don’t think they will ever need an abortion I just wasn’t terribly aware of the need for these providers. Don’t get me wrong, I hope Dr. Carhart has a long life but he and several of the providers are nearing or past retirement age. A lot of rhis was because I was sure it didn’t apply to me because I have never wanted to have children so any pregnancy would be terminated as soon as I found myself pregnant. However, it is good to hear that he will possibly be training people to fill the shoes of aging providers.
For many years, I also just assumed anybody with a pregnancy threatening their health, had fetal anomalies or was a victim of rape in denial could have this procedure performed in a hospital and have it paid for by insurance. After some research my symparhy for the women who need abortions in the second or third trimester went through the roof.
And for the record, I never cared why a woman would choose this because it sounds like a very unpleasant experience that nobody would want to go through. Women don’t choose to end a pregnancy “right up to the moment of birth” as the antis like to claim for no reason. Not that women who choose abortion owe anybody else an explanation anyway.