12 minute read
Finding reproductive care post-Roe. Protections for abortion in state remain strong.
Photos by Marcy Stamper
Activists rallied in Okanogan this year in support of reproductive rights and the ability to make personal decisions.
Finding reproductive care post-Roe
Protections for abortion in state remain strong
BY MARCY STAMPER
Fifty-two years ago, Washington became the first state in the country to enact the right to an abortion through a vote of the people. Voters ratified the right by a vote of 56.5% to 43.5%, making Washington one of just a few states where abortion was legal.
14
That was three years before the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a Constitutional right to an abortion in the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
The right for people to make their own decisions about whether and when to have a child is still guaranteed in Washington, even though the Supreme Court overturned Roe this June, which allowed individual states to enact their own laws regarding abortion.
In fact, since that first vote in 1970, Washington voters and legislators have strengthened the right to terminate a pregnancy two more times. In 1991, Washington voters narrowly passed a ballot initiative that guarantees every individual’s fundamental right to privacy in making reproductive decisions, including the right to choose or refuse abortion and contraception.
The law requires insurance coverage and payment for abortion to be equal to coverage for maternity care, which means abortion is covered by private insurance and Medicaid in Washington.
The law guarantees the right for health care providers to use medical judgment regarding the health of the pregnant person. It also protects providers who object to performing abortions
Methow Valley News
Reproductive rights are still guaranteed in Washington.
from discrimination.
This year, before the Supreme Court decision, the state Legislature updated abortion protections again. “It is the public policy of the state of Washington to continue to protect and advance equal rights to access abortion care that meets each individual’s needs, regardless of gender or gender identity, race, ethnicity, income level, or place of residence,” the law says.
Less than a week after the Supreme Court overturned Roe, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued a directive underscoring Washington’s commitment to “remain a sanctuary for any person seeking abortion care and services in our state.”
Inslee’s directive prevents Washington law enforcement agencies from cooperating with any out-of-state investigation, prosecution or other legal action based on another state’s law that is inconsistent with Washington’s protections of the right to choose abortion and provide abortion-related care.
Local reproductive care
For people in the Methow Valley seeking abortion and related reproductive care, the closest services are in Wenatchee, at one of 11 health centers operated by Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and Northern Idaho (PPGWNI).
“People in rural areas are often forgotten. It’s important to meet them fully where they are. This work matters,” PPGWNI Vice President of Public Affairs Paul Dillon said.
People who are up to 10 to 12 weeks pregnant can obtain a medication abortion in Wenatchee (the abortion pill known as Plan C). Surgical abortions are available only at their clinics in Spokane, Yakima and Kennewick.
Medication abortion accounts for 60% to 70% of the abortions at their clinics. Plan C can be prescribed after an in-person or phone consultation. Many people like to take the pills at home and then come in for a follow-up appointment, Dillon said.
The Wenatchee clinic also provides health screenings, men’s health care including vasectomies, pregnancy testing, contraception and emergency contraception (also called Plan B, which prevents fertilization within the first 48 to 72 hours after unprotected intercourse), and gender-affirming care. When someone is pregnant, PPGWNI staff discuss all options with the patient and provide referrals for prenatal care, adoption or abortion. Sixty percent of PPGWNI’s patients are already parents, Dillon said.
PPGWNI also has a mobile clinic that travels throughout the region, including in
Behind on bills? We’re here to help.
For support with housing costs —rent, utilities and more — contact us today.
Because everyone needs a helping hand every once in a while.
Call (509) 422-4041 or visit occac.com today.
24-Hour Emergency Room
Family Practice & Specialty Clinic Radiology: X-Ray, CT, Ultrasound, MRI, 3D Mammograms, & Echocardiograms Surgical Services: General, Orthopedic, & Gynecological Acute Care w/ Transitional Care On-Call Laboratory Outpatient Physical Therapy
507 Hospital Way, Brewster threerivershospital.net
History of abortion rights in Washington
Abortion was not always illegal in the United States, but by the early 1900s every state had criminalized it. In Washington, it became a crime to end a pregnancy except to save the life of the mother, according to a history of the state’s 1970 referendum by the Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project at the University of Washington.
By the 1960s, a limited number of “therapeutic” abortions were allowed in Washington, as long as a committee of physicians said it was medically necessary.
The campaign for the 1970 legislation that legalized abortion grew in part out of a recognition that wealthier women could obtain this special permission, while those with fewer resources were usually left to find illegal and dangerous procedures. Activists began working for abortion-rights legislation after two young women died from botched illegal abortions in the late 1960s, according to the civil rights project history.
The Washington Legislature passed the 1970 law, 25 to 23 in the Senate and 64 to 31 in the House, and submitted it to voters for ratification and adoption in a referendum, where it passed by a 13% margin.
In addition to being the nation’s first, Washington’s 1970 referendum was noteworthy for the diversity of its supporters. The Legislative effort had bipartisan support and campaign backers included women, men and a group of clergy. The bill’s main sponsor was state Sen. Joel Pritchard, a Republican from Seattle, while Rep. Margaret Hurley, a Spokane Democrat, headed up the opposition. Republican Gov. Dan Evans signed the bill, sending it to the voters for ratification.
There were significant regional differences on the referendum. Almost all eastern Washington counties, including Okanogan, voted against it.
The civil rights project believes the campaign was successful because they framed “abortion as a health care issue instead of solely an issue of women’s choice.”
Okanogan County, to provide free screenings and primary care for migrant farmworkers and in tribal communities. A different branch of Planned Parenthood operates clinics in Idaho.
Swamped with patients
The PPGWNI clinics were already busy. But since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June and many states banned all or most abortions, they’ve seen a dramatic increase in demand and are caring for women from across the country, Dillon said.
In fact, as soon as the Roe decision came out, Planned Parenthood got a call from someone in Utah, Dillon said. “We’re already seeing calls from states enacting bans. People need to get care and have no place else to go,” he said. In the first week of September, PPGWNI saw two patients who’d come all the way from Florida.
Idaho’s recent passage of two laws that ban almost all abortions, which went into effect in late August, drove patients to Washington almost immediately, Dillon said.
The Idaho bans were challenged by the United States Department of Justice and a group of 21 state attorneys general, including Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson. They argued that Idaho’s near-total ban on abortion fails to protect the rights of patients to access emergency medical care, which is guaranteed by the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and
luxury at the edge of the wilderness
Visit our website The Spa at Sun Mountain has what you need to relax and recharge. Take a day for yourself or book a weekend getaway to treat yourself to that break you deserve
Labor Act.
“We are already seeing a significant influx of Idahoans seeking abortion services in Washington, and that will only increase with this new, restrictive law,” Ferguson said. “What happens in Idaho directly impacts Washington. Not only is Idaho’s near-total ban on abortion wrong, it violates federal law.”
“Federal law is clear: patients have the right to stabilizing hospital emergency room care no matter where they live,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said. “Women should not have to be near death to get care.”
Ferguson argued that Washington’s health care system will be strained by an influx of patients traveling to Washington for health care now prohibited in Idaho.
A U.S. 9th circuit court judge in Idaho ruled that health care providers in Idaho must treat pregnant patients whose life may be at risk. But the judge allowed the other parts of the ban to go into effect while the case is pending.
Before the Supreme Court overturned Roe, one-quarter of people seeking abortion care in Washington were from out of state. In 2021, 43% of patients getting abortion care in Pullman were from Idaho. With bans taking effect across the country, Washington’s clinics and providers are expecting a 385% increase in people seeking care. They have been hiring staff to handle the increase, Dillon said.
“If a patient is just trying to see a provider, now politicians are trying to get between you and your medical provider. It creates such a burden on this critical care. This is a national health care crisis,” Dillon said.
People traveling from other states are more likely to be further along in their pregnancies because of the time it takes to get an appointment, arrange travel, and find a way to pay for it. That means they’re more likely to need a surgical abortion, Dillon said.
PPGWNI now has a patient navigator to assist with expenses for travel, lodging or the procedure, Dillon said. Their “hospitality fund” is primarily donor driven, but they’re also applying for grants to meet the increased need, he said.
“The big thing is that, as dark and scary as these times can be, we’re not giving up or going anywhere. The majority of eastern and central Washington support us. We’re really grateful to be here in the community,” Dillon said.
Other local resources
There are other local resources for reproductive care and for pregnant people seeking referrals.
Since its founding in 1998, Room One, the social services agency in Twisp, has been committed to working against intergenerational poverty and violence, which they see as linked to the ability to make decisions about whether and when to have a child. “Unwanted pregnancies impact a woman’s educational attainment and income-earning capacity, and increase vulnerability to violence,” Room One said in its summer 2022 newsletter.
Room One provides free condoms, pregnancy tests, and emergency contraception (Plan B). Their advocates help people with unwanted pregnancies find prenatal care or abortion care and with adoption referrals.
Room One also provides education in schools about healthy relationships, birth control, and the importance of consent, which they have found leads to postponement of sexual activity and increased use of contraception. They work with local clinics to ensure teen-friendly, safe and affordable reproductive health care services are available.
“There are few issues we face in our country that cause such impassioned disagreements as the issue of access to abortion services. Abortion is a deeply personal issue, and it is normal to have strong feelings on all sides,” Room One said. “It is our steadfast commitment to share information, offer support, ask guiding questions, and walk alongside each community member without judgment.”
Young people can also get assistance and referrals for reproductive care, pregnancy tests, abortion care, prenatal care or adoption resources from advocates with the Foundation for Youth Resiliency & Engagement (FYRE) in Omak.
Care Net Pregnancy Center provides pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, counseling and referrals for prenatal care, maternity and infant supplies, parenting resources and adoption services in Omak, Brewster and Oroville. Care Net offers “Christ-centered support, and our life-affirming network of pregnancy centers, churches, organizations, and individuals.”
Care Net will provide information to help someone make a decision about an unplanned pregnancy. But if someone comes to Care Net looking for a referral for an abortion, they don’t direct them anywhere, but simply say they can’t help. Most people are familiar with the organization and know they don’t support abortions, Care Net Omak Branch Manager Cathy Den Adel said.
They will offer to talk or pray with the individual. “When somebody walks through our door, we want to help in any way we can,” Den Adel said. Expectant or new mothers can get points for watching educational videos, which they can redeem for maternity and infant supplies such as diapers, formula and cribs.
Home Birth Midwifery Care
for Your Growing Family in North Central Washington
Serving the Methow Valley, Greater Okanogan, Chelan, & Douglas Counties
Advantages of Midwifery Care: Longer Appointments • Continuity of Care • Water Birth Available • Comprehensive Postpartum Care • Emphasis on Informed Choice
Why choose Wild Moon Midwifery with Christina?
Visit www.wildmoonmidwifery.com to learn more about Christina’s midwifery care, including pregnancy massage, postpartum pelvic floor & core restoration, perinatal movement classes, childbirth education classes, & transformational birth coaching.
Book a FREE consultation to see if midwifery care is right for you.
wildmoonmidwifery.com • (206) 660-6459 • Twisp, WA
Covered by Medicaid + great out-of-network reimbursement for private insurance
