Thousands attended a protest June 24, in Portland, hours after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade case and returned the power to the states to decide abortion laws. Rose Lundy/The Maine Monitor
SOUTH PORTLAND — Carafem expands personalized and medically supported abortion pills to Maine.
The world continues to cope with the news about the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade case. Many women wonder what their next steps are regarding having an abortion.
On June 24, the Supreme Court made a historic decision, 5-4, and overturned Roe v. Wade. This declares that there is no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion. The decision is expected to transform women’s reproductive health in the United States.
Carafem is a client-centered, medically supported at-home abortion pill.
“Carafem provides convenient, modern, and professional abortion care as well as customized birth control options so people can control the number and spacing of their children,” said Melissa Grant, COO of Carafem. “Carafem is changing the environment of abortion care by making its services and information accessible, understandable, and supportive. A person seeking abortion services in Maine can schedule a virtual appointment with a medical provider and receive abortion pills in 1-3 days. Along with quick delivery of their medications, Carafem clients also receive 24/7 personalized support from a trained care team throughout the abortion process until their final follow-up, all of which can be completed virtually.”
Carafem provides telehealth abortion care to 14 states and the District of Columbia. States include Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and now Maine. Those with a Maine mailing address are now eligible for safe and effective abortion care via video chat.
“There are many reasons a person may prefer a medically supported, at-home abortion,” said Grant. “Visiting with a provider over secure video chat allows for greater privacy, support, and flexibility within the process of having an abortion, including the location, timing, and cost.
“The hope is that Carafem can provide people with options to receive care in the way that makes the most sense to them, allowing them to get answers without leaving the house or playing phone tag. Expanding options for access to reliable healthcare is critical so that people can receive care where and when they need it.”
People looking for an abortion will schedule a brief video consultation with a medical professional to discuss care; after the video conference, Carafem will mail out the pills to residents’ mailing addresses within one to three business days.
Carafem’s medically supported at-home abortion pill service is promoted as a safe option for most people seeking care and is available in the first 11 weeks of pregnancy. According to Carafem, millions have safely used the medications across the US for more than 20 years.
Costs for at-home abortion pills range between $250 to $375. They do not accept insurance or Medicaid for abortion pills by mail, although financial assistance is available for those who qualify.
At the June 21 South Portland City Council meeting, councilor Jocelyn Leighton put forward a statement of support for safe and legal access to reproductive health. The issue states that the city council supports safe and accessible health care for all people, especially reproductive health. The council will work to preserve safe and affordable access to health care for all people, especially those in the community who possible Supreme Court decisions will disproportionately impact.
“I will support this,” said councilor Katherine Lewis at the meeting. “I think the biggest thing for me is safe and affordable access to health care for all people, which is not something that all people have. It is not always safe and is definitely not affordable for a lot of people, so to the extent that we can keep this in mind as we’re making city policy when it’s relevant, I think that would be a good thing.”
For more information, visit https://carafem.org/hello-maine/.
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