Abortion Access in the Carolinas
February 2021 —
In the movement for Black liberation, it’s important to remember the importance of reproductive justice. A person’s ability to decide whether or not they have children is a core component of bodily autonomy; it’s hard to deny that all people should have the right to make informed decisions about their own life and future, in addition to the right to live safely in their communities without the threat of harm. Yet there is a sustained and growing movement to restrict access to abortion care in the United States – a movement based on lies and white supremacist patriarchal violence – which could create a post-Roe v. Wade reality of government restrictions far worse than we’re already experiencing.
Abortion is healthcare, and abortions will always be accessible to people with more economic privilege. Restricting access to abortions, whether through medically unnecessary laws or outright bans on public assistance funding, directly impacts the rights of BIPOC and lower-income people to access essential healthcare that can lead to more economic freedom and a better life. When I learned in September that the Supreme Court refused to take action to block a Texas law banning abortions after six weeks, I was disheartened by the cruelty of a policy that would further limit access to abortions in a state notorious for its lack of accessible abortion care. However, it didn’t occur to me until later that a similar law was passed in South Carolina in 2021 (although a federal judge ultimately blocked it from taking effect); it’s clear that the rightwing roadmap to dismantling abortion care nationally includes a strategy of state restrictions, and we should all be paying attention. Below is a round-up of abortion policies in the Carolinas, in addition to some ways to support local efforts for accessible reproductive care here at home.
In both NC and SC, a patient seeking an abortion is required to listen to a state-mandated script written by politicians – forcing patients to receive biased counseling with medically inaccurate information designed to cause guilt and ultimately dissuade a person from having an abortion. In addition to subjecting patients to biased scripts, a person in South Carolina must wait 24 hours while a person in North Carolina must wait 72 hours before they can actually receive an abortion. These forced-delay periods are not medically necessary; the required waiting period is based on the disrespectful assumption that birthing people do not know when they need to receive an abortion, and it only creates an additional delay of care. In addition to policies that directly harm people seeking abortions, there are also TRAP (targeted regulation of abortion providers) laws that place unnecessary and burdensome requirements on abortion providers. The purpose of these regulations is to make it harder for abortion clinics to provide care by forcing them to focus on costly facility requirements or the medically unnecessary reporting of sensitive client information to government agencies. The result – and intended effect – of TRAP laws in the Carolinas is to make it harder for clinics to stay open and make it more difficult for people to find accessible abortion care.
In North Carolina and South Carolina, it can be difficult for people to access abortions not only because of restrictive policies, but also because of costs associated with the procedure and the need for transportation, childcare, and additional support. Carolina Abortion Fund is an organization dedicated to ensuring that people in both SC and NC can receive reproductive care, information, and support with a reproductive justice framework. Philanthropy and racial justice grantmaking can and should support the work of collectives organizing to remove financial and logistical barriers to abortions. As the anti-choice movement grows and the threat of a nationwide abortion ban becomes increasingly more likely, it’s important to support and listen to the people who are working to ensure reproductive justice for all of us.