Five Things You Can Do Right Now

How to protect yourself and each other

Over the next few days, Abortion, Every Day will be sharing advice from legal, medical and activist experts about what a Trump presidency will look like for abortion rights and what we can do to help. But I’ve already heard from many of you who want something to do today; so here are a few early thoughts about actions you can take to protect yourself and others.

Before I get into it, please remember that the laws haven’t changed overnight and you still have the same access you did yesterday (for better or worse). These aren’t urgent action items—but suggestions.

Order abortion medication

If you don’t already have abortion medication in your medicine cabinet, order some. You do not need to be pregnant to get the pills—you can order advance provision medication just in case you need it down the line. If you’re a regular reader, you know that conservatives’ top priority is prohibiting the shipping of abortion pills. That’s something that won’t just impact states with bans, but the entire country. By ordering advance provision medication, you can at least know that you’ll have them on hand for as long as their shelf life lasts. (Approx 2-5 years.)

This isn’t just about protecting your own health, but throwing a wrench in anti-abortion strategy. As you know, conservatives want to implement tracking and data systems for these pills and abortion in general. The more abortion medication we have out in the world, available to us and the people we care about, the harder it will be for them to track.

That said, keep in mind that the groups and doctors providing abortion medication are going to be overwhelmed in the wake of the election, and the priority are those who need the pills right now.

Trusted sources for abortion medication: Aid Access, Plan C Pills, Abortion Finder, I Need An A.

Donate to an abortion fund or organization

There are people in your community and around the country who need our help now more than ever. Abortion funds and practical support groups, for example, ensure patients get the care they need by providing financial, logistical, travel, and even emotional support. These organizations are in the midst of a massive funding crisis, so consider donating to the one in your state or community. You can find your local fund here and find a list of practical support networks here. Think about setting up a reoccurring monthly donation.

There are so many organizations doing vital work that it would be impossible to list them all (though feel free to leave suggestions in comments). If here’s a particular issue you care about within abortion rights, consider giving to the group that’s focused there. If you’re worried about criminalization, you could donate to Pregnancy Justice. If you’re horrified seeing OBGYNs fleeing states with bans, think about giving to Medical Students for Choice. Hate the proliferation of anti-science bullshit? Look at the Guttmacher Institute and Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH).

Protect your digital safety

Whether you’re planning on seeking care, participating in activism or just want to exist with a uterus in fucking peace—consider taking some actions today to protect your digital privacy and safety. The Digital Defense Fund and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have resources and guides that can help. I highly recommend reading both in-depth because different people will have different security concerns, but here are a few top-line recommendations:

• Turn off your location sharing. I don’t think any of us want companies storing our information, especially because it can be given or sold to law enforcement. Find out how to disable location sharing here.

• Trade out text messaging for an app like Signal. If you don’t want your phone company hanging on to text messages and metadata, consider using an end-to-end encrypted messaging app.

• Disable ad ID tracking. Companies track your online activity in order to serve you up ‘better’ ads—but you can disable that unique ad ID and seriously limit their ability to do so. Click here to find out more.

• Use a VPN. Using a VPN (virtual privacy network) allows you to be online without your browsing history being saved. Check out EFF’s explainer on VPNs and how to use them here.

Know your legal rights

There’s been a tremendous amount of confusion post-Roe when it comes to the law: Things move quickly and state bans can change day-to-day depending on a court decision. Make sure you know the latest by paying attention to maps like the one at Center for Reproductive Rights. If you need free and private legal advice, you can contact the Repro Legal Helpline.

Most importantly, share these resources and others with the people in your networks to stop the spread of anti-abortion confusion and scare tactics. This is a movement that thrives on misinformation. Whether it’s conflating abortion medication and emergency contraception, or making women believe they’ll be arrested for leaving their state for care—these groups want Americans too afraid to seek out any kind of reproductive healthcare.

They’re also depending on us being too scared to help each other. That’s why the next section is so important.

Check in with your community

I realize this last bit of advice may sound hokey to some, but I truly meant what I wrote earlier today: We will take care of each other. And we can start doing that today, by reaching out to the people in your life who you know are devastated and care about this issue. We are going to need our communities more than ever, and it’s vital that we don’t isolate ourselves.

Let’s make sure the people in our lives and networks know that we’re there to help, give advice, and direct them to any resources they might need. (Abortion, Every Day’s resource page is here, and Shout Your Abortion just launched a great one, as well.)

I want to be clear: I know that a few action items aren’t a magical fix for this nightmare and that there is so much more to do and say. But sometimes the way to dig yourself out of a hole is to take it step-by-manageable-step. More tomorrow. -Jessica

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If you missed my column earlier today, you can read it below:

It's Not Okay