The State of Oregon could soon deploy mobile abortion clinics “to rural parts of the state and communities of color,” according to a report published by the Herald and News. The recommendation comes from the so-called Reproductive Health and Access to Care workgroup, convened by Oregon House Speaker Dan Rayfield following the U.S. Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade in June.
“The work group recommendations look to leverage community and university health centers to provide more information and potentially medication for abortions. That could include utilizing community health to deploy mobile abortion clinics and having college medical centers dispense abortion-inducing medications and emergency contraception,” Herald and News wrote.
The workgroup, which includes representatives from All* Above All, Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood, Oregon ACOG as well as transgender rights groups, also wants to “use state unfair trade practices to go after crisis pregnancy centers operated by ‘pro life’ groups offering alternatives to abortions,” according to Herald and News.
The group published their recommendations in a document suggesting that Oregon, “[i]mplement a regionally diverse pilot for [Federally Qualified Health Centers] FQHCs interested in expanding reproductive health services to support abortion access through state funding. Establish a technical advisory group to assist with pilot design and administration. Pilot criteria must be flexible to permit the use of mobile clinics or other temporary or transitional features, and applicants must demonstrate a governance commitment to expanding reproductive health services.” (emphasis added)
Unlike many brick-and-mortar abortion facilities, mobile abortion clinics (vans and RVs) are likely unregulated and uninspected. And, they have the potential to set up shop in neighborhoods or near churches. These abortion businesses on wheels often plan to set up outside states which protect the preborn child from violent abortion, and since the fall of Roe v. Wade, multiple states have passed pro-life laws and 12 states now protect nearly all preborn children.
Planned Parenthood
As Live Action News previously documented, in October of 2022, Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri (PPSLRSWMO) announced the “launching [of] Planned Parenthood’s first-ever mobile abortion clinic in the country. It will serve the border regions of southern Illinois to meet patients closer to where they are.”
Dr. Colleen McNicholas, Planned Parenthood’s chief medical officer for the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, told KWBU.org that she thinks the mobile clinic could be replicated in other parts of the country where neighboring states restrict abortion.
“This unit really truly is, for us, a demonstration of an act of defiance,” she said. “We’re here, and we’re going to be here, and we’re going to continue to show up for people who need us.”
According to news reports, the mobile facility plans to offer the abortion pill by end of 2022 and begin committing surgical abortions in 2023.
Planned Parenthood mobile abortion van Image from Video posted to Janae Nicole Facebook
Abortion Delivered
The virtual abortion pill organization Just the Pill is converting commercial vans into a fleet of mobile abortion facilities dubbed “Abortion Delivered” to perform first-trimester abortions on the road in secret locations and neighborhoods. They plan to eventually expand into committing on-the-road second-trimester abortions at a later date.
“The group currently operates two mobile clinics in Colorado and plans to build out its network of vans and deploy them in states where abortion is legal but surrounding states have banned the procedure, such as New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Illinois,” reported HealthCareDive.com in August. According to a report by the Guardian, the abortion group previously had mobile units in Montana and Wyoming and previous reports indicated the group is also mobile in Minnesota.
“Just the Pill considered deploying its new vehicles in Wisconsin. But the group chose Colorado instead, for its less onerous regulations on clinics and pharmacies,” the Wisconsin Examiner reported adding that the group is also planning to target Virginia.
Abortion Delivered a project of Just the Pill setting up mobile abortion clinics
“It doesn’t have any signage on it,” Dr. Julie Amaon, medical director of Just The Pill told NPR of Northern Colorado. “We’re not trying to tell people what we’re doing to keep patients safe because we know that even in more protected states like Colorado, there are still lots of people that don’t agree with what we’re doing.”
“We try to get to as close to the patients as possible, depending on what method they’re coming in,” Amaon also said. “Are they coming in by bus, by car, by plane? And so that gives us some more flexibility to move around and meet patients where they are.”
According to KUNC.org, “Just The Pill hopes to launch a procedural mobile clinic offering surgical abortions next year. To do so, they will need to find somewhere to park for hours at a time and are considering buying land,” the report claimed.
“Our mobile clinics will travel to parts of these states based on where the need is greatest,” Amaon told Healthcare Dive. “Just the Pill’s long-term plan is to operate 30 clinics around the U.S., with timeline depending on fundraising.”
Following Planned Parenthood’s announcement of its first-ever mobile abortion business, 40 Days for Life asked on their Facebook page, “Would you have heart surgery in the back of a windowless van? How about getting your knee replaced in some guy’s RV? Of course not. Planned Parenthood’s mobile abortion scheme is only possible because abortion is NOT health care.”
