On November 1, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan announced the launch of a new phone line that will connect pregnant women with abortion providers. The “first of its kind” phone service will also provide women with information about lodging, transportation, and financial aid for abortions.
According to a release, the phone service is being funded by a $1 million investment. It will be operational six days a week, with bilingual staffers who will connect callers with abortion facilities. Per the release, “[c]allers will be asked about their needs and preferences, such as preferred day of the week, location, and interest in medication abortion, as well as whether they need assistance with cost or insurance. Responses will help navigators determine caller needs for connection to resources offered by referral partners.” The “referral partners” will be abortionists located throughout the city.
“If financial assistance is needed in order to obtain an abortion, navigators will connect people seeking care to clinical partners to facilitate resources, including financial support for the procedure, transportation and/or lodging,” the release added.
“The Dobbs decision may have been the Supreme Court’s latest attack on human rights and health care, but New York City will continue to be a safe haven for anyone seeking to access a safe, legal abortion,” Adams said in a statement. “New York City will continue to respect, protect, and fulfill the core tenets of our fundamental right to choose, and will fight to ensure quality, affordable health care is accessible to all those who seek an abortion.”
Though city leaders are hailing the phone line’s establishment as “care for those in need,” there is no indication that the phone staffers will offer any actual assistance to pregnant women in need of help. While other organizations like pregnancy resource centers provide things like financial assistance, baby items, formula, diapers, clothing, and furniture to expectant women and their families, women looking for help from NYC officials will only receive information on how to abort their children.
The phone line is just the latest in a number of extreme pro-abortion measures by Adams. In August, he signed six bills to promote abortion, including one which makes chemical abortions free to clients at all DOHMH facilities.
