how to get a free abortion

not clickbait!

Even the robots hate women.

A few days ago, I asked chatgpt how to get a free abortion, and it gave me the metaphorical shrug emoji and responded “I can’t assist with that.”

I couldn’t tell if this was bias or omission, so naturally I had to find out. I decided to ask the same question about a vasectomy, expecting a similar response, but boy was I wrong. When I asked AI about how to get a procedure for a man’s reproductive health, it was suddenly far more helpful.

So naturally, I had to derail my entire day to write a post about how to get a free abortion JUST OUT OF SPITE because I can’t let the robots win.

chatgpt was written by a republican.

I’m writing this piece in the hopes that it’s useful to you, or someone you love (because we all love someone who has had an abortion) or that whatever machine learning process I don’t fully understand can incorporate this into the way it will train the other chatbots to not be so embarrassingly anti-woman. It’s not the first time that technology has tried to mislead us on abortion, but given that we’re now talking about artificial intelligence, it feels a lot scarier and higher stakes, so let’s get into it.

Here’s the truth: if you need a free abortion you can pretty much get one. Now I know this might feel naive given that a woman in Texas was just forced to travel to another state just to get an abortion for an unviable fetus. I hear you. It’s been a shitty year for women and reproductive rights. We still live in a world where Republicans are non-ironically trying to ban abortion before pregnancy has medically occurred. But even with Roe being overturned, and lots of red states doing the most at being the worst, I think it’s imperative that we frame this conversation from a position of female agency. While abortion is illegal in a lot of places, it is still possible to get an abortion in every state, pretty much for free. Given that anti-choicers (and stupid chatbots) don’t want you to know that, I feel that it’s my responsibility to tell you!

HOW TO GET AN ABORTION FOR FREE IF YOU’VE BEEN PREGNANT FOR LESS THAN TWELVE WEEKS

For starters, I need to remind you that it’s 2023, and that this means it’s totally safe to do your own abortion at home with pills. In fact most abortions now happen at home. You can get your hands on this medication in all fifty states and there’s absolutely nothing that decrepit conservative lawmakers can do about it. While a bunch of losers are still trying to make it illegal, the Justice Department recently instructed the U.S. Postal Service to continue delivering abortion medication by mail even in states where abortion has been banned. This means anyone can get their hands on abortion pills even if their state bans abortion.

If you want to get abortion pills (or stock up now and keep them in your bathroom cabinet like advil in case you need it) you have a few options. If you order your pills through Aid Access, Plan C or Hey Jane (where you can get abortion pills for about half the average price) you can tell them you’re struggling financially. Since they partner with several groups that provide financial assistance to women who can't afford it, they can help you. They will not turn you away if you don’t have the means. It’s also crucial to note that pretty much all telehealth abortion providers have sliding scales, flexible pricing or help patients connect with outside financial support. Tell them you’re in a pickle, and let them do the rest.

And some clinics don’t even require outside groups to help, and will just give you abortion pills for free. If you live in New York City (the city already currently provides abortion services to anyone regardless of immigration status) several programs were launched since Roe was overturned. One of them is called the NYC Abortion Rights Act, which made medication abortions free at Department of Health clinics. The Morrisania Sexual Health Clinic in the Bronx offers free abortion pills if you need them, and three more clinics in the other boroughs are working on doing the same. The city also created a confidential hotline for women in the city (people across the country can use it) to get connected with providers and financial support services, transportation and lodging to get a free abortion and any logistical costs you may incur. Just call 877-NYC-AHUB from any phone Monday through Saturday, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM to speak to someone. You don’t even need to know how to speak English because their operators speak other languages like Spanish and American Sign Language too. You can also call the National Abortion Federation Hotline no matter where you live. Just dial 1-800-772-9100 for confidential counseling about how to get a free abortion. They will take care of you.

There’s also a growing group of international coalitions and community groups that acquire abortion pills from international pharmacies for as little as 1.50$ and distribute them to women in need. Many of them have created solidarity networks between women in Mexico and the US. This cross-border network is called Red Transfronteriza and contains groups that you can connect with directly, like Las Libres.

And if for some reason you can’t get your hands on free abortion pills, there’s a way to make the abortion cheaper or easier to get your hands on. Here’s how! So typically, a medication abortion is the combination of two pills, Mifepristone and Misoprostol. But since anti-choicers are really only able to restrict the first pill for now, the second one has been shown to be almost as effective as taking both. If you’re in a pinch for whatever reason, you can do a misoprostol-only abortion and it’s way cheaper. Studies show that it’s just as effective, and in some cases even works up until 16 weeks of pregnancy. You’ll need a prescription, but two misoprostol pills are about 10 bucks and here is a coupon if you want to save when you get it at your local pharmacy. Note that you'll need about 12 pills containing 200mg. And while it’s almost just as effective, you should know that it can come with more side-effects so make sure a friend is available in case you don’t feel well. Again, the preferred way is to take both pills, but it’s extremely common in other countries for women to accomplish their abortion just using one. And while it can take an emotional toll, remember that abortion medication is safer than viagra and has less complications than tylenol. Even if male politicians who will never need an abortion make abortion sound like a big deal, it’s really not! It’s one of the safest medical procedures there is, so don’t be afraid.

HOW TO GET A FREE ABORTION IF YOU’VE BEEN PREGNANT FOR MORE THAN TWELVE WEEKS

If you’re entering anything past week 12 of your pregnancy, you’ll need to get a surgical abortion, but that’s also possible without paying anything. You may be able to get a free or low-cost abortion at Planned Parenthood. Just call your local clinic and ask them about financial aid, and they will have a list of options for you. Alternatively, you can also use Abortion Finder to locate the nearest place where you can get an abortion and call them to ask for discounts. They have a specific tool you can use just to search for various support and financial aid that could be available to you.

And if you’ve exhausted all these options, there’s still a way! There are several abortion funds that were created with the explicit goal of ensuring that anyone can access abortion, no matter what financial position they’re in. As non-profits, they raise money through grass-roots means to offer financial and logistical assistance to people who need it. I recommend using the National Network of Abortion Funds to search the right one for you.

HOW TO GET A FREE ABORTION IF YOU’RE AN INTROVERT

And if all of this is overwhelming, or you’re too introverted and don’t wanna be perceived right now, you can chat with Charley, a secure and anonymous chatbot that can answer all your questions about financial assistance, legal queries, as well as any logistical questions you may have about how to save on the cost of your abortion. It’s a great alternative to chatgpt, who can honestly go to hell!

And lastly, if you’re a longtime reader, you know that I’m on the board of Mayday Health, a reproductive health education nonprofit that helps people access information about abortion, so if you need any other information that I didn’t cover, they’re a remarkably rigorous and accessible resource. “Abortion pills can be free, so don't let the cost get in the way of the care you need,” Mayday’s Executive Director Dr. Jenn Lincoln says. “Pills can be free from community networks or free or reduced cost from online providers— let them know if you can't pay. Abortion funds can also help!”

CONTRIBUTE TO THIS POST

I’m sure I forgot a bunch of stuff, or missed other fabulous organizations that can also support you, so please share any additional resources in the comments. This is not meant to be a complete or comprehensive post, but rather a community-building one where we can collect and share information the mainstream chatbots don’t want us to know!

I hope this post helps someone, or can be a useful resource to come back to or send to a friend in need. Thanks for being a subscriber and helping me continue to do this work. And screw sexist robots! Who needs them when we have each other.

x

Liz