From the article: I have been following YLE throughout the pandemic -- her information on COVID was pivotal to us making decisions about school and other activities. She has branched out into...
From the article:
This week, Kate Cox got an abortion. She joined more than 9.3 million Americans who got a legal abortion in the past 10 years, of which 83,000 (0.9%) got one after 20 weeks of gestation.
I’ve seen many on social media wonder: What’s the big deal? She found the healthcare she needed after all, right? And this cross-state journey is rare, right?
Forced abortion travel has doubled following Dobbs. And if you’re one of the lucky few who can travel, this journey isn’t without very real challenges that may not be apparent to the unseen eye.
I have been following YLE throughout the pandemic -- her information on COVID was pivotal to us making decisions about school and other activities. She has branched out into other areas of public health, including gun violence and reproductive health.
In addition to this article, which explores the hidden costs and risks of traveling for abortion, she published an article a few days ago talking about the growing risks of pregnancy mortality.
Last weekend, I was talking to a long time friend who told me her abortion story for the first time. Dr. Jetalina alludes to hers in the second article I linked. My friend said almost exactly the same thing as Dr. Jetalina:
although I came out on the other side, it’s not without incredible heartache and trauma. Maybe one day, I will have the courage to tell my whole story. But that’s what it is: my story, my health, and my life.
I usually like YLE but this part could be elaborated on: Yes, it’s an expense, but my impression is that this is a rich person’s idea of travel. Car ownership and lengthy road trips are pretty...
I usually like YLE but this part could be elaborated on:
It takes a lot of cash—plane tickets, rental car, hotel rooms, food, and procedure. This adds up to about $10,000-$30,000. As you can imagine, many people can’t afford this, and often, insurance doesn’t cover it.
Yes, it’s an expense, but my impression is that this is a rich person’s idea of travel. Car ownership and lengthy road trips are pretty common among middle-class folks, because in most parts of the US, you need a car. (An old beater, probably, and gas is expensive.) Alternatively, bus travel (Greyhound) is often cheaper than airfare and goes more places. You can eat cereal, make sandwiches, and buy prepared food at grocery stores or cheap fast food, perhaps for not much more than it would cost at home. There are cheap motels in rural areas so you can save money if you’re strategic about where you stay. They might not be the nicest places.
I wonder what the costs would be for people accustomed to living frugally?
I agree the numbers seem high, but also, a lot of the optimizations you mention are things someone might do to make a vacation cheaper when they have a lot of time to plan it carefully. To do...
Exemplary
I agree the numbers seem high, but also, a lot of the optimizations you mention are things someone might do to make a vacation cheaper when they have a lot of time to plan it carefully. To do that, you trade off many things -- you might not go to a place that's not on a bus route, or that isn't walkable once you get there (to avoid renting a car). You might stay outside a big city and only go in for one "special" event. But whatever it was, you'd be finding a place to go that met those constraints.
I don't think all these choices are available to someone trying to get an abortion. They have pretty limited options. With many fewer providers, the remaining ones are overwhelmed by demand. Especially the ones that are the closest option for states that have completely banned abortions. So this person has to take the appointment they can get. If they wait too long, they might pass a legal threshold for the place they are trying to go and have to go even further.
All that means not waiting for the cheapest ticket. If they take the bus, they have no car, so they have to stay somewhere pretty close to the clinic. Their not going to want (or be able) to do a lot of walking. Hopefully they are not going alone, but if they are, a 10 hour drive might take a couple of days which means more hotels and more meals and more time away from work and whoever might wonder where they went.
Out of curiosity, I looked to see what the closest abortion provider is to Dallas (where Katie Cox lives). It's about 8 hours away in Kansas. In the course of that, I used www.abortionfinder.org. Notably, it prompts you for:
location
when was your last period (i.e. how pregnant are you)
how old are you
I think all of these are a factor because in different places, abortions are banned at different stages of pregnancy and the rules for who may get one differs by age. So I think maybe that illustrates the complexity someone in this situation is dealing with.
Another thing to consider is the stress of needing an abortion in a place that demonizes the practice. I grew up about 2 hours from Dallas, and especially if I had very limited resources, I think I would be terrified. All the community support I might normally rely on would be in question. I'd be afraid of people finding out. Even people I trust who were sympathetic might be afraid to help me because of the bounty law. I don't think I'm going to be able to make optimal plans under those conditions.
Certainly there are ways to cut down on cost, but I fear no one analysis is going to fit all cases. On the flip side of this, there is loss of income as some people, especially those on more...
Certainly there are ways to cut down on cost, but I fear no one analysis is going to fit all cases. On the flip side of this, there is loss of income as some people, especially those on more modest incomes, are only paid for the time they work. Even if you keep costs down, making less money may amount to similar or worse financial burden. Whichever way you cut it, poorer people will struggle much more because of these policies.
Fwiw if you're traveling for abortion you're likely, but not guaranteed to need to stay in a major city, possibly on short notice and spend a night or two depending on the wait period requirements...
Fwiw if you're traveling for abortion you're likely, but not guaranteed to need to stay in a major city, possibly on short notice and spend a night or two depending on the wait period requirements (and depending on whether a surgical or medical procedure is necessary).
That last minute part is what ups the cost. 30k is too high for that range IMO but I see how it can add up.
I remember reading about how Carbondale, Illinois has become a common destination for people in states south of there, because it’s just across the border. But perhaps that’s unusual; this is...
I remember reading about how Carbondale, Illinois has become a common destination for people in states south of there, because it’s just across the border. But perhaps that’s unusual; this is something I don’t know a lot about.
It's fairly unusual. Illinois has been expanding its abortion access outside the Chicago area in the past year. It will all still depend on where you're coming from, local rules and restrictions,...
It's fairly unusual. Illinois has been expanding its abortion access outside the Chicago area in the past year.
It will all still depend on where you're coming from, local rules and restrictions, etc. but smaller cities like Carbondale are definitely a boon for access for a number of reasons.
From the article:
I have been following YLE throughout the pandemic -- her information on COVID was pivotal to us making decisions about school and other activities. She has branched out into other areas of public health, including gun violence and reproductive health.
In addition to this article, which explores the hidden costs and risks of traveling for abortion, she published an article a few days ago talking about the growing risks of pregnancy mortality.
Last weekend, I was talking to a long time friend who told me her abortion story for the first time. Dr. Jetalina alludes to hers in the second article I linked. My friend said almost exactly the same thing as Dr. Jetalina:
I usually like YLE but this part could be elaborated on:
Yes, it’s an expense, but my impression is that this is a rich person’s idea of travel. Car ownership and lengthy road trips are pretty common among middle-class folks, because in most parts of the US, you need a car. (An old beater, probably, and gas is expensive.) Alternatively, bus travel (Greyhound) is often cheaper than airfare and goes more places. You can eat cereal, make sandwiches, and buy prepared food at grocery stores or cheap fast food, perhaps for not much more than it would cost at home. There are cheap motels in rural areas so you can save money if you’re strategic about where you stay. They might not be the nicest places.
I wonder what the costs would be for people accustomed to living frugally?
I agree the numbers seem high, but also, a lot of the optimizations you mention are things someone might do to make a vacation cheaper when they have a lot of time to plan it carefully. To do that, you trade off many things -- you might not go to a place that's not on a bus route, or that isn't walkable once you get there (to avoid renting a car). You might stay outside a big city and only go in for one "special" event. But whatever it was, you'd be finding a place to go that met those constraints.
I don't think all these choices are available to someone trying to get an abortion. They have pretty limited options. With many fewer providers, the remaining ones are overwhelmed by demand. Especially the ones that are the closest option for states that have completely banned abortions. So this person has to take the appointment they can get. If they wait too long, they might pass a legal threshold for the place they are trying to go and have to go even further.
All that means not waiting for the cheapest ticket. If they take the bus, they have no car, so they have to stay somewhere pretty close to the clinic. Their not going to want (or be able) to do a lot of walking. Hopefully they are not going alone, but if they are, a 10 hour drive might take a couple of days which means more hotels and more meals and more time away from work and whoever might wonder where they went.
Out of curiosity, I looked to see what the closest abortion provider is to Dallas (where Katie Cox lives). It's about 8 hours away in Kansas. In the course of that, I used www.abortionfinder.org. Notably, it prompts you for:
I think all of these are a factor because in different places, abortions are banned at different stages of pregnancy and the rules for who may get one differs by age. So I think maybe that illustrates the complexity someone in this situation is dealing with.
Another thing to consider is the stress of needing an abortion in a place that demonizes the practice. I grew up about 2 hours from Dallas, and especially if I had very limited resources, I think I would be terrified. All the community support I might normally rely on would be in question. I'd be afraid of people finding out. Even people I trust who were sympathetic might be afraid to help me because of the bounty law. I don't think I'm going to be able to make optimal plans under those conditions.
Certainly there are ways to cut down on cost, but I fear no one analysis is going to fit all cases. On the flip side of this, there is loss of income as some people, especially those on more modest incomes, are only paid for the time they work. Even if you keep costs down, making less money may amount to similar or worse financial burden. Whichever way you cut it, poorer people will struggle much more because of these policies.
Fwiw if you're traveling for abortion you're likely, but not guaranteed to need to stay in a major city, possibly on short notice and spend a night or two depending on the wait period requirements (and depending on whether a surgical or medical procedure is necessary).
That last minute part is what ups the cost. 30k is too high for that range IMO but I see how it can add up.
I remember reading about how Carbondale, Illinois has become a common destination for people in states south of there, because it’s just across the border. But perhaps that’s unusual; this is something I don’t know a lot about.
It's fairly unusual. Illinois has been expanding its abortion access outside the Chicago area in the past year.
It will all still depend on where you're coming from, local rules and restrictions, etc. but smaller cities like Carbondale are definitely a boon for access for a number of reasons.