The sad situation of a 10-year-old girl who was raped, became pregnant, and was three days past her state’s abortion cut-off went viral. But America is known for its ingenuity, and one physician came up with another novel idea to offer women and children such as this little girl abortions and and their reproductive rights — on a ship.
A Bay Area doctor has begun efforts to give all women and children in need of these important medical treatments in the Gulf of Mexico. An OB-GYN, Dr. Meg Autry has been working to send a ship nine miles off shore in federal waters. Then those services will be legally offered.
Dr. Autry’s plan came into public view when KCBS reported it. PRROWESS will offer reproductive rights care to places where abortions have been “banned, limited, or hard to access. She has done abortions and other related procedures such as a partial miscarriage for decades , according to NBC Bay Area. She describes herself as “a lifelong educator and a lifelong career abortion advocate:”
‘It is my life’s work. Part of the reason we’re working on this project so hard is because wealthy people in our country are always going to have access [to abortions], so once again it’s a time now where poor, people of color, marginalized individuals, are gonna suffer –and by suffering I mean like lives lost.’
She is also a professor at the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) and began working on this for quite some time, but she sped up efforts when Roe v. Wade was overturned by an uber-conservative Supreme Court majority.
The ship plans t operate nine miles off the coasts of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas:
‘[I]t can evade those states’ abortion restrictions. PRROWESS will arrange for patients to be transported to the ship, which will vary depending on where they are coming from, once they pass a pre-screening process.’
The Bay area doctor will head a “team of licensed medical professionals.” They can perform “surgical abortions for up to 14 weeks of pregnancy.” In addition, the ship would offer “testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections:”
‘The project is being funded with philanthropy and the patients care is on a needs basis, so most individuals will pay little to nothing for services.’
President of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, Stacy Cross, whose area includes Nevada and California said:
‘[O]ver the years we’ve talked about things like boats on federal waters out past the 5-mile line. It’s just it’s a testament to the time we’re in, because its really horrific that we’re having to think of these things in the United States of America, how to keep people safe.’
‘I think people are going to be as creative as possible, the people who have the funds are getting on planes and flying, we’re seeing other people drive here.’
A Dutch doctor has been coming up with creative solutions along the same lines as Dr. Autry. Dr. Rebecca Gomperts “pushes the limits of abortion law.” The Dr. Whitten documentary was called Vessel and was a mobile clinic aboard ship.
Dr. Autry continues to raise money to buy a ship, convert it to a floating medical office, and staff it.
Featured image is a screenshot via YouTube.
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