Abortion is legal in Ohio, but not always accessible.
When is abortion covered?
Health plans offered in the state’s health exchange under the Affordable Care Act can only cover abortion in cases of life endangerment, or in cases of rape or incest.
Abortion is covered in insurance policies for public employees only in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest.
Public funding is available for abortion only in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest.
(Guttmacher Institute, May 2021)
What must be involved in the abortion process?
A patient must receive state-directed counseling that includes information designed to discourage the patient from having an abortion, and then wait 24 hours before the procedure is provided. Counseling must be provided in person and must take place before the waiting period begins, thereby necessitating two trips to the facility.
Most patients will undergo an ultrasound before obtaining an abortion, since the provider must test for a fetal heartbeat. The patient will be offered the option to view the image.
An abortion may be performed at 20 or more weeks postfertilization (22 weeks after the last menstrual period) only in cases of life endangerment or severely compromised health. This law is based on the assertion, which is inconsistent with scientific evidence and has been rejected by the medical community, that a fetus can feel pain at that point in pregnancy.
(Guttmacher Institute, May 2021)
What is HB 214?
House Bill 214 prohibits physicians from performing an abortion with knowledge that the pregnancy is affected with Down syndrome. HB 214 was originally passed in 2017, although the law was enjoined (put on hold) due to ongoing legal challenges. In 2018, the ACLU sued the Ohio state health department, state medical board, and county prosecutors on behalf of abortions providers restricted by this initial passage of this bill. The state maintains this this law regulates doctor’s rather than banning abortion. On April 13, 2021, The 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to reverse blocking the enforcement of this law. This law states that doctors could be charged with a fourth-degree felony, stripped of their medical license, and held liable for legal repercussions for performing an abortion in the case that they have knowledge that an individual is seeking an abortion for a confirmed or suspected fetal diagnosis of Down syndrome.
Become a driver for WHOO
We're looking for folks who have the privilege of an operational vehicle and valid driver's license and want to use them for good! There will be opportunity to get reimbursed for gas. We especially need drivers in rural and the far reaches of the state, where there are no clinics and access has never been guaranteed. Please feel free to share this opportunity with all who believe that people should have access to abortion, no matter their circumstances.
Volunteer for NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio
Help us fight for choice! Volunteer for NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, the state's largest grassroots pro-choice organization. Sign up now!
Become an abortion doula with Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio
“Initially trained by the NYC Doula Project, PPSWO offers doulas for patients of all economic levels seeking an abortion. With a reproductive justice mindset, we hope to expand our doula care into a full spectrum program in the future.”
Contact: Kim Mason, Doula Program Coordinator: 513-721-7635 ext.7577 or doula@ppswo.org
Organizations to Support
Women Have Options
Founded in 1992, Women Have Options is Ohio’s only statewide abortion fund and a founding member of the National Network of Abortion Funds. Every person should be able to make reproductive decisions and Women Have Options works to make that a reality in Ohio.
Ohio Women’s Alliance
The Ohio Women’s Alliance is a statewide membership of grassroots leaders, organizers, community builders, and activists creating a better Ohio for all through a reproductive justice lens.
Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Ohio RCRC elevates the moral power of faith communities to ensure that all people can access the reproductive health care they need. Regardless of income, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or background. Free from judgment and intimidation.
New Voices in Reproductive Justice
The mission of New Voices for Reproductive Justice is to build a social change movement dedicated to the health and well-being of Black women and girls through leadership development, Human Rights and Reproductive Justice. Their vision is to achieve the complete health and well-being of Black women and girls, their families and communities.
Preterm
Preterm's mission is to advance reproductive health and justice by providing safe, respectful, and accessible abortion and sexual healthcare.
Abortion is essential to bodily autonomy and gender equity for all people. Providing abortions is a deeply caring and revolutionary act that is part of dismantling oppression and stigma. These are the values that guide Preterm’s
commitment to abortion care.
ACLU Ohio
The mission of the ACLU of Ohio is to aid in maintaining and extending constitutional and other fundamental rights, liberties, privileges, and immunities, and to take all legitimate action in furtherance of that object without political partisanship.
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio is committed to develop and sustain a constituency that uses the political process to guarantee every Ohioan the right to make personal decisions regarding a full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion.
ROOTT
ROOTT was created by a collective who view the issues surrounding maternal and infant health as a consequence of structural and institutional racism. Through our personal relationships and experiences as people of color, work with one another as doulas, advocates, and community members, we understood the need to build support that centered our voices as valid. We believe that our programs and services offered, based in evidence, will provide a means of addressing the impact of the stress created by our everyday, lived experiences. We are firmly grounded in the principles of Reproductive Justice, rooted in autonomy, human rights, and the trust of Black Women to decide how, where, when, and if we choose to have children.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio provides essential reproductive health care services to generations of Ohioans in our communities. Our caring and knowledgeable staff provide a wide range of services; including testings, treatment, counseling, and referrals.