An abortion pill that can be ordered online, regardless of US state laws: this is the lifeline for many American women following the controversial overturning of Roe vs Wade last Friday.
Dutch physician Rebecca Gomperts created her Aid Access website four years ago. The website offers an option for women living in various countries where abortion is not available.
Since Roe vs Wade was overturned, demand for pills on the website has increased by 600%.
“We used to receive about six hundred emails a day, now there are four thousand,” Gomperts tells NU.nl.
“Fortunately, we are with a large team, so we can handle this perfectly,” she continues.
How does Aid Access work?
Need an abortion and living in the US? Here’s how Aid Access works.
First, you’ll fill out an online consultation form. From there, if eligible, you’ll be referred to a provider.
If you’re lucky enough that your state allows abortion you can fill a prescription for the abortion pill at a US-based provider who sends the pill via mail.
If you live in one of the 31 US states that Aid Access believes have tighter abortion restrictions, there are options for that too. (After all, women’s healthcare is a fundamental human right. 💪)
In this case, Gomperts sends the prescription to a pharmacist in India. The pills are then popped into an envelope and directly mailed to the patient in the US.
Need another bonus? While abortion in the United States costs around $600 USD (€573), a pill through the non-profit costs just one-sixth of the price.
Wait, wait; that’s legal?
Through some savvy legal loopholes, Gomperts operates in a grey area that makes it legal to supply the pills. Gomperts lives in the Netherlands and her company is registered in Austria. In Austria, abortion is 100% legal.
While technically importing drugs from other countries is against US law, according to Vox, the Food and Drug Administration has said it doesn’t typically chase individuals who are importing medicines for personal use.
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