(C) Daily Montanan This story was originally published by Daily Montanan and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Abortion services are hard to access, even if you live in Montana – Daily Montanan [1] ['Darrell Ehrlick', 'More From Author', '- December'] Date: 2022-12-12 Even though abortion remains legal in Montana, reproductive choice advocates point out that nearly 9-in-every-10 state residents live in a county that doesn’t have abortion services. As the United States Supreme Court overturned a half century of legal precedent when it punted the question of abortion back to states in the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health case, Montana’s abortion numbers are pushing upward, largely due to residents from surrounding states where the procedure is now outlawed said advocate Aileen Gleizer, who works with the Susan Wicklund Fund. The Susan Wicklund Fund is staffed by volunteers and set up to help pay for abortion services and other measures to protect women’s health across Montana. The organization has seen the numbers basically double in the previous year, and more women needing access, traveling farther away and needing more help. Virtually all states surrounding Montana have either banned or strictly limited the procedure of abortion. “We believe no one should be denied care because of their inability to pay,” Gleizer said. She also has worked for a reproductive care clinic as a counselor for women who may need an abortion. In Montana, the number of women using the fund has nearly doubled from 12 in July 2021 to 22 in July this year. Gleizer said that trend is consistent: States that have kept the procedure legal have experienced an uptick, largely driven by women from out-of-state. “You might have to drive,” Gleizer said. But driving comes with its own sets of challenges from bad weather to a car that is reliable enough to make a long journey. And that’s before considering the weather in a place like Montana. Gleizer said that on average in Montana, clients travel 400 miles roundtrip for abortion services, a significant increase since the Dobbs decision went into effect. The Wicklund Fund, which helps cover some of the cost, has also seen requests for additional assistance which includes more money for rising gas prices, longer distances, and lodging. And more women are concerned about childcare costs. Gleizer said 31% of women who have abortions nationally also have other children. Montana has some form of abortion care services in Missoula, Whitefish, Helena and Billings, but that means that larger urban Montana centers like Bozeman or Great Falls lack access to the services. Moreover, sometimes the wait time can be as long as two months, complicating the situation. “If you have to wait for two to four weeks, that’s a long time to wait if you have decided you need one,” Gleizer said Beyond the increased cost and wait times, since the Dobbs decision a new wrinkle has entered the equation: The fear of retaliation. As some states race not just to outlaw abortion, they are going one step farther, criminalizing the procedure and making anyone who helps a woman get an abortion complicit. Gleizer said that many women seeking abortion services are terrified about the procedure because of the legal consequences. “There has been a significant number of chilling effects because of these policies,” Gleizer said. “There is a lot of fear, especially with our clients. They fear a retroactive penalty.” In other words, they worry that Montana or another government may not just ban abortions, but will then go after medical records of that patient for possible prosecution. “The fear really is palpable,” Gleizer said. Montana’s abortion outlook is complicated by another factor, the rising cost of housing prices. Montana, like many other states is experiencing a rise in housing costs that far outpaces wages. Many of the women who seek an abortion in Montana are doing so, in part, because of housing insecurity, Gleizer said. “Many are doing it to be able to care for the children they have,” Gleizer said. Nearly one-quarter of women nationally have said they’ve had an abortion by the time they reach 45. Nearly half of those who receive an abortion are at or below the federal poverty level and 51% report they were using contraceptives when they got pregnant, according the Guttmacher Institute. Statistics show that 2-out-of-3 abortions provided in the state go to Montana residents, Gleizer said, but that number is beginning to change more rapidly. She also notes an even breakdown of number of women who receive abortion care services with 22% being from 18 to 24 years old; 22% being between 25 and 29; and 23% being between 30 and 34. She said that more than 98 percent of abortions performed in Montana are before 21 weeks. Gleizer said there is one silver lining to the dark cloud of abortion bans popping up throughout the country. She said that as many organizations, individuals and foundations have been alarmed by the number of states banning reproductive health, donors and support for the Susan Wicklund Fund, the only organization of its sort in Montana, is growing. Currently, the Wicklund Fund is hiring its first paid staff members after being an all-volunteer organization. “It’s amazing to see the support,” she said. “More than 90 percent of women who have an abortion have it before 13 weeks, so this media perception that women who are visibly pregnant are rushing to get an abortion is incorrect. Most are quite early and most are before any visible signs.” [END] --- [1] Url: https://dailymontanan.com/2022/12/12/abortion-services-are-hard-to-access-even-if-you-live-in-montana/ Published and (C) by Daily Montanan Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/montanan/