A California doctor has proposed launching a floating abortion clinic in the Gulf of Mexico to bypass the bans in place in southern American states, the AP reports. It might sound silly, but many believe it could be a viable solution to a very real problem.
- The floating abortion clinic would be out of reach of state laws. While the ship providing abortion services would still be in federal waters, it would be out of reach of state laws that forbid terminating pregnancies.
- The clinics would offer other vital health services for women. In addition to performing abortions, the floating clinic would also offer contraception and other vital women’s healthcare, according to Dr. Meg Autry, an OB/GYN and professor at the University of California San Francisco.
- Those who support the right to choice should support this idea. “There’s been an assault on reproductive rights in our country and I’m a lifelong advocate for reproductive health and choice. We have to create options and be thoughtful and creative to help people in restrictive states get the health care they deserve,” Dr. Autry says.
- The floating abortion clinic idea is already in the fundraising stage. Dr. Autry is working with the non-profit “PRROWESS,” which is short for “Protecting Reproductive Rights Of Women Endangered by State Statutes,” to raise funds for the project.
- If it were to come to fruition, it could help many women. Abortion bans have already taken effect in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. There’s also a Florida law in place banning abortions after 15 weeks, with a few exceptions for fetal abormalities and life-saving. Dr. Autry believes the floating abortion clinic could help women nearby by being more accessible. “This is closer and faster access for some people, particularly for working people that live in the southernmost part of these states,” she said. The details of how such a clinic would work are still being considered, but it’s definitely an interesting idea.
