Yesterday afternoon, a Hamilton County judge blocked Ohio’s 6-week abortion ban, returning abortion legality through 21 weeks from last menstrual period (LMP) across the state. 

According to a joint release from several of Ohio’s clinics & the ACLU of Ohio, the plaintiffs have requested the block on the ban be extended through the duration of the case. It’s unlikely that this request is granted or denied prior to the final days of the 14-day block. You can read the full release & find the latest updates from our friends at the ACLU of Ohio.

Is abortion legal in Ohio? 

Since the law is currently blocked from being enforced, abortion clinics can now provide abortions through 21 weeks & 6 days from a person’s last menstrual period. This particular number comes from Ohio law previously enacted before the passage of the 6-week ban.

This is a HUGE win, even if only temporary! Under the 6-week ban, approximately 90% of abortions were blocked in the state. In comparison, about ~1% of abortions occur at or after 21 weeks in the US. While a ban at ANY limit is despicable, this block will provide significant relief to Ohioans needing abortion care. 

Are Ohio’s abortion clinics open?

Ohio’s abortion clinics—particularly our independent abortion clinics—have struggled to keep their doors open among a barrage of barriers and bans these past several years. 

Women’s Medical Center - Dayton was set to close after 9.15, but now will reopen this coming week to serve patients. For many clinics, blocked bans could mean keeping operations running & retaining staff while providing essential services to their community. 

Clinic scheduling, availability, and restrictions may vary, so be sure to check with your local clinic on how long they can provide care & when they’ll begin scheduling patients.

Will this impact abortion access in the midwest?

Though Ohio’s ban has been temporarily stalled, our neighbors in Indiana & West Virginia both have near-total abortion bans taking effect this week. With Kentucky still operating under a total ban, Ohio will likely see a surge of folks traveling from out of state to receive care during this temporary block.

Abortion Fund of Ohio can support both Ohioans & folks traveling to Ohio with abortion access. We have dedicate patient navigation staff, volunteers, and financial support to help put abortion in reach. 

Can I get an abortion in Ohio?

Patients seeking abortion can now remain in state if there procedure would fall before 21 weeks & 6 days gestation. This is determined by the patient’s last menstrual period (LMP). Abortion clinics will likely be EXTREMELY BUSY over the next two weeks, so it’s crucial that abortion seekers schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Clinics ask that if you need to cancel your appointment — for example, if you found an earlier appointment or one closer to home — you give the clinic as much notice as possible so they can provide that slot to another patient. Providers are doing their best to serve as many folks as possible during this time, so please be kind & understanding to staff!

If there are additional barriers to accessing care — such as childcare, transportation, accessibility, or other practical care & costs — you can reach out both through your clinic or through Abortion Fund of Ohio for assistance. You can begin AFO’s intake process by going online to our help page or calling our warmline at 614-300-7811. As a note, this line is a return system only, meaning you will need to leave a voicemail to receive a call back! 

How can I support abortion access in Ohio?

Though abortion legality has been temporarily expanded, this doesn’t necesarrily equate to access. Many folks who need abortion will not have access to it, whether it’s an inability to take off work, pay for the procedure & associated costs, or get necessary transportation to their appointments.

Though it’s not the most exciting answer, the most influential thing you can do in this moment is donate to & or fundraise for abortion funds. 

You can contribute to Abortion Fund of Ohio either as a one-time gift or as a recurring donation. If you already have a recurring donation set up with AFO & you need to change payment info, update amount, or cancel it, we now have a self-service supporter portal!

You can learn about fundraising for AFO on our website here.

Solidarity,

Abortion Fund of Ohio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—JUNE 24, 2022

Sam Woodring (she/her); Women Have Options Ohio;

c: 513-285-8099

[email protected]

Ohio’s Statewide Abortion Fund Condemns Reinstatement of Ohio’s 6-Week Abortion Ban 

Women Have Options Tells Ohioans: Abortion After Six Weeks is Banned, But We Are Still Here 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 24, 2022)—Today, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) completely overturned the precedent protecting the legal right to abortion under both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. This afternoon, the Ohio Department of Health requested that a stay be lifted on an injunction currently preventing Ohio’s 2019 6-week abortion ban from taking effect. Moments ago, a judge granted this request, meaning that abortion following the detection of fetal heart tones is banned. 

The 6-week abortion ban—often misleadingly termed the “Heartbeat Bill”—was passed as Senate Bill 23 (SB 23), which outlaws abortion as early as five or six weeks of gestation. At that point, most individuals don’t know they’re pregnant—it would be mere days following a missed period. The vast majority of abortion seekers logistically could not schedule an appointment within this window, effectively restricting in-state abortion access to almost nothing. 

The ban—after being enacted in April 2019—was swiftly challenged by our partners at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio (ACLU of Ohio) who brought suit against the state on behalf of Pre-Term Cleveland, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio (PPGO), Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio (PPSWO) and the Women's Med Center of Dayton (WMCD). Since July 2019, the ban was stayed under an injunction, which has granted crucial abortion access to patients in Ohio.

As Ohioans, we’re enraged that our so-called leadership is working overtime to restrict our right bodily autonomy. Our state has been plagued by countless horrors, yet the first time they’ve taken immediate action is to eliminate safe, in-state access to crucial healthcare. Countless studies tell us that abortion bans only work to harm the health of pregnant folks, their families, and our communities at large. As a health department—one who is supposedly committed to the health and wellbeing of all Ohioans—ODH should truly be ashamed of their actions. 

“Abortion funds are still working & legal in the state, & we’ll continue helping Ohioans access care. Now more than ever, our abortion fund and independent clinics will need the support of our entire state, ensuring that every single Ohioan can access the care they need. Donate to your local abortion fund, sign up to volunteer, and make your story known. We will not be going anywhere. Abortion—at its core—is love and community care.” says WHO/O Interim Executive Director Maggie Scotece.

We have absolutely no intention of halting our work. When announcing news of the ban to attendees at ComFest, WHO/O Board Chair, Jordyn Close noted that “You’ll see us in the streets and in the courts.”

Right now, our work as an abortion fund is still legal and unfettered. We are asking Ohioans to support local funds like ourselves, the Cleveland-based fund & clinic Pre-Term, and the Toledo-based Aggie Reynolds Fund. We will fight tooth and nail to ensure ALL Ohioans can access abortion, whether that be in state or elsewhere. 

We urge Ohioans to donate to their local abortion fund. If you need help accessing abortion, we are here. Ohioans can reach out via website or our warmline at (614) 300-7811.

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Women Have Options Ohio (WHO/O) is a 501(c)3 organization that provides financial assistance and practical support to help patients afford contraception, emergency contraception, and abortion services. Since 1992, WHO has helped thousands pay for their reproductive choices. If you need help accessing abortion care, please contact us here. If you would like to help someone access abortion care, you can contribute monthly or as a one-time gift.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—JUNE 24, 2022

Sam Woodring (she/her); Women Have Options Ohio;

c: 513-285-8099

[email protected]

Ohio’s Statewide Abortion Fund Denounces SCOTUS’s Dismantlement of Roe v. Wade

Women Have Options Ohio (WHO/O) Reminds Ohioans: Abortion is Still Legal in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 24, 2022)—This morning, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) released its final opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, completely dismantling the precedent that protected the legal right to abortion under both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

This day and decision will be cauterized in the hearts of advocates and the general public alike—the news of this momentous step backwards comes with so much rage, but also intense grief. Millions across the country are watching as their rights to their own body shrink, a decision that inevitably stigmatizes the millions who have had abortions and the millions more who will need them. 

Despite the fall of Roe this morning, abortion is still legal in Ohio. Ohio’s legislature is working to change that reality with HB 598, but as of today, June 15, 2022, abortion is still legal, and care is still available in-state. WHO/O reminds folks that clinics are open, medication abortion (with use of FDA-approved pills, Mifepristone & Misoprostol) remains legal, safe, and effective, and WHO/O is here to support patients with any financial or practical supports that they may need. If you currently have an appointment with a care provider, assume that this appointment is still happening unless your provider tells you otherwise. Canceling your appointment can delay critical care, increasing your wait time and cost of treatment. 

Chair of WHO/O’s Board of Directors & abortion storyteller, Jordyn Close says, “In the coming days and weeks, we’ll hear from politicians, organizations, and others who claim our system of governance is broken. The stark reality is that it’s functioning exactly as intended. Abled-bodied, wealthy, white, cis-gendered women will have no issue crossing state lines to access care if needed. Historically oppressed folks will bear the brunt of this decision. Forced pregnancies will inevitably lead to increased maternal mortality rates, poverty, and limit folks’ choice of if, when, and how to have children. This decision is in direct contradiction to our human rights and the mission of Reproductive Justice as defined by Black-led feminist organization, Sister Song.”

Interim Executive Director, Maggie Scotece, notes “I am enraged with the actions of not only SCOTUS, but our government at-large. All abortion bans are part of the intertwined systems of oppression that deny Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color access to their rights and are rooted in anti-Black racism, white supremacy, and other forms of discrimination. Right now, we’re calling on Ohioans to spread the message that abortions is still legal in Ohio. WHO/O, alongside local and national organizers and activists will continue fighting towards liberation. Grassroots fundraising, community support, and public action will be crucial, not just for abortion funds like WHO/O but also for clinics and the patients they serve. To Ohioans feeling every color of outrage and grief and fear—know that you are not alone, and our communities aren’t going anywhere, now or ever.”

WHO/O is a founding member of a network of abortion funds across the country that have prepared for this constitutional rollback for years. When abortion becomes illegal in Ohio, WHO/O will field massive increases in funding requests from patients for whom abortion will no longer be financially or logistically accessible. 

In Ohio, the state legislature’s newest attack on our bodily autonomy comes in the form of House Bill 598, which would ban abortion in all cases, and it would ensure that performing an abortion becomes a first-degree felony. The bill, if enacted, would also prohibit the manufacturing and sale of medications and devices intended for use in abortions, prohibit promoting abortion, and criminalize individuals who safely self-manage their abortions. Senate President, Matt Huffman, stated intent to pass HB 598 through the Senate after the SCOTUS decision is handed down. Huffman is also a volunteer at his mother’s Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC), which are state-funded, false clinics that deceive, stigmatize, and delay care for pregnant people in attempts to prevent abortions. 

HB 598 is just one of many bills attacking Ohioans’ fundamental rights. WHO/O stands in solidarity with queer and transgender Ohioans & whose rights were grounded in our right to abortion that was upheld for over 50 years in Roe v. Wade. Bills progressing through the General Assembly like HB 454—a ban against gender-affirming care—and HB 616—the infamous ‘Don’t Say Gay’ and anti-Critical Race Theory bill—are now even graver threats. WHO/O stands united with our partner organizations as they organize against blatantly transphobic, racist, and homophobic legislation and the cultural attitudes that created them. 

WHO/O anticipates requests for service to double this summer, especially given that one-way travel distances could increase tenfold depending on bans enacted in our neighboring states. This SCOTUS decision will harm thousands of Ohioans who will be blocked from receiving care as a direct result, but its impacts will also be felt within communities that will be forever changed by this lack of care. There are not words strong enough to represent our collective pain, anger, and deeply rooted indignation. Contribute to abortion funds. Speak out against oppressive legislation. Organize for better. Take time today to show yourself, your neighbors, and your community some love.  

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