“When I care for people who need abortions, love is all I feel,” said Dr. Jamila Perritt, an OB-GYN and president and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health.
March 10 is Abortion Provider Appreciation Day. With increasing attacks on abortion and the people who provide them, we talked to abortion providers across the U.S. about what they want their communities to know and what keeps them motivated to continue the work.
Abortion providers Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, CEO of Power to Decide and practicing OB-GYN; Dr. Jamila Perritt, OB-GYN in Washington, D.C., and president and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health; and Dr. Bhavik Kumar, medical director for primary and trans care at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast shared with Ms. their thoughts on an increasingly hostile federal government, what antiabortion lawmakers get wrong and what they think Ms. readers should know about being an abortion provider today.
These interviews have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Ms.: You’re facing hostile governors and a hostile federal government. What do you want your community to know—and what do antiabortion lawmakers get wrong?
Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley: For the past two decades, I have incorporated abortion care as part of my practice. I have witnessed how policy shifts and legal battles have stripped away essential rights from those seeking safe, compassionate, basic healthcare. Bans and restrictions put into place by antiabortion lawmakers prevent people from having control over their bodies, force folks to navigate immense hurdles, and even create dire, dangerous situations for pregnant people.
As an OB-GYN, I have seen first-hand how access to a full range of reproductive and sexual healthcare, including abortion, is essential for the well-being of my patients, their families and their communities. Sharing abortion care resources, information and knowledge is the first step in making sure that everyone has the power to decide their own futures on their own terms. Resources such as AbortionFinder.org help abortion seekers find trusted, verified providers so they can get the care they need and deserve.
This work has been my life’s mission and has made me a better physician and a better human being.
Dr. Bhavik Kumar
Dr. Jamila Perritt: The decision to have an abortion, give birth and parent a child, or build your family in the way you feel is best as a sacred one. It is a decision that is never made lightly or carelessly but with thoughtfulness and consideration. As an abortion provider, I know that providing this care is an act of deep trust. I trust the people I care for to know what they want and need.
Antiabortion lawmakers are committed to villainizing people who have abortions and everyone who helps them get that care. I want people who have abortions to know that despite the noise and rhetoric from intrusive and controlling legislators who rely on fear tactics to spread misinformation and disinformation about abortion, you are not alone. You are deeply entwined in a community of organizers, healers, legal and medical experts, researchers, and people who believe in you and trust you. We are here for you and we will never give up.
I want people who have abortions to know that despite the noise and rhetoric from intrusive and controlling legislators who rely on fear tactics to spread misinformation and disinformation about abortion, you are not alone.
Dr. Jamila Perritt
Dr. Bhavik Kumar: No matter what, abortion providers like me will not abandon the people who need us. We are committed to ensuring each person has the ability to exercise their right to have full control over their body. Nobody should be forced to stay pregnant when they know it’s not the best thing for them. Folks needing help can find more information and resources at AbortionFinder.org.
Unfortunately, antiabortion lawmakers continue to attack and decimate a person’s ability to access the life-saving care they need. They fail to see the humanity of my patients, the thoughtful decisions they make, and they fail to appreciate the trauma and turmoil they inflict on real people by passing these harmful laws.
Ms.: What is one thing you want Ms. readers to know about being an abortion provider today?
Dr. Raegan: I want people to know that doctors and advanced practice clinicians who provide abortion care are some of the most dedicated and compassionate care providers. We seek to provide quality and compassionate abortion care to our patients despite very difficult and unprecedented circumstances.
Being an abortion provider today means navigating increasingly complex and often hostile environments. Each time I am in the health center, I witness first-hand the devastating impact of restrictive laws and bans on my patients. Many are forced to overcome immense hurdles—taking time off work, arranging childcare and covering the costs of travel, lodging and appointments—just to access the care they need. This is placing an unbearable financial and emotional toll on people and their families. But it is knowing that some people are unable to surmount these barriers and are left without options, that keeps me up at night.
It is knowing that some people are unable to surmount these barriers and are left without options, that keeps me up at night.
Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley
Perritt: The foundation of the work I do as an abortion provider has always been, and will always be, love. I know that abortion care is an act of love. Love for our communities. Love for our families. Love for ourselves. Despite the ever present, increasingly vitriolic and hateful attacks from antiabortion lawmakers and extremists, when I care for people who need abortions, love is all I feel. I became a healthcare provider because I believe that my community deserves compassionate, culturally responsive, community grounded care. It is my honor to do this work each and every day. While this work can be hard, it is necessary. Abortions will always exist, and people committed to providing abortions will always exist. We will find our way through, together.
Kumar: The privilege to do this work and to hear so many people’s stories is truly a joy. This work has been my life’s mission and has made me a better physician and a better human being.
