Find services that were cut from Planned Parenthood

Last week, The City broke the news that Planned Parenthood’s Manhattan clinic has “temporarily” stopped offering 20-plus week abortions, as well as deep sedation during procedures, citing ongoing funding issues. The organization will also be closing four clinics across New York State in the fall, including its only clinic on Staten Island.

In spite of New York’s self-styled image as a “safe haven” for abortion-seekers since the overturning of Roe v. Wade — and explicit promises about increasing funding for medicare reimbursements — state officials failed to include said funding in the most recent $237 billion state budget, an issue that Planned Parenthood of Greater New York officials have taken public in a bid to pressure our feckless officials into doing the right thing.

“The state’s failure to increase reimbursement rates for medication abortion was a missed opportunity to make a systematic, long-term investment in New York’s abortion access infrastructure,” Planned Parenthood of Greater New Yorker president Wendy Stark wrote in a recent co-authored op-ed. “For New York to cement its position as a leader in the fight for reproductive rights it must increase Medicaid reimbursement rates and double down on its dedication to ensuring access to care at all gestations.”

While Planned Parenthood and other clinics fight for scraps from a state government seemingly more focused on gutting public transportation than supporting the progressive policies they claim to endorse, New York City residents still need access to reproductive health care on a daily basis.

“Despite all of [the other] available options, Planned Parenthood’s service changes at its Manhattan center will still negatively impact patients seeking care,” a representative for NYC For Abortion Rights, a local pro-abortion collective, told The Groove. “Starting September 3rd, patients will have one less affordable option to go to (as a non-profit, PP offers more affordable care). In addition, already-burdened clinics will face even more strain and likely be forced to increase wait times for patients.”

Below, a guide on where you can still go in the city for access to procedures that Planned Parenthood can no longer afford:

Where to look

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has its own pretty excellent and thorough Abortion Access Hub, providing information on clinics, general FAQs, options for people with or without health insurance and options for immigrants, among other things. If you even think you might need an abortion or reproductive care but don’t know where to look or what kind of care you might wind up requiring, this is a great place to start, and can direct you to trusted clinics providing safe abortion services.

Let’s note here that in New York State, you can receive an abortion regardless of your immigration status, and there are various care and payment support options for patients without health insurance, as well. The New York State Attorney General’s office has a full primer on your abortion rights as a New Yorker here.

Web resources

• Live chat with a representative from the Abortion Access Hub here for referrals, information on nearby clinics and to discuss what type of services you might need; the line is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and includes options for Spanish speakers.
• Patients seeking an abortion after 20 weeks in New York State can go to ineedana.com and filter for their address and select “more than 20 weeks ago” for “weeks since last period” to find nearby clinics and hospitals offering abortions for their current stage of pregnancy.
• For patients seeking an abortion beyond 24 weeks, laterabortion.org has resources.
• For affordability, NYC Health + Hospitals locations are the best option, the representative from NYC For Abortion Rights told The Groove. Information about H&H abortion services, FAQ, and appointment information is available in a variety of languages here.

Hotlines

• The Abortion Access Hub has a phone hotline to connect patients with nearby providers — the number is 1-877-NYC-AHUB (1-877-692-2482).
• The State Attorney General’s office has its own hotline offering “free legal information and resources about accessing abortion” — the number is 212-899-5567.
• Repro legal helpline operates nationwide, and provides free, confidential legal advice for abortion seekers or recent patients — the number is 844-868-2812.

Beware of fake clinics

No, even New York City isn’t free from the scourge of fake “clinics,” often known as crisis pregnancy centers, which exist to badger or terrify abortion-seekers into giving birth. In fact, as of 2022, crisis pregnancy centers actually outnumbered real abortion clinics in New York City.

Though these centers don’t provide abortions (or much in the way of any kind of healthcare), a lot of them have successfully gamed search engines so that they show up first for search terms like “abortion clinic,” so it’s wise to find a clinic through one of the resources above, or via official government resources like the Abortion Access Hub.

In New York City, these clinics are legally required to post signs in English and Spanish stating that they don’t provide abortion care or have a medical provider on site, which is something to keep an eye out for; on the flip side, if you encounter a fake clinic that doesn’t have the required disclaimer signage, you can report them by calling 311 or filling out a complaint form online.

If you want to cross-check the validity of a clinic in your area, Pro-Truth New York has an interactive statewide map flagging which centers are actually forced-birth crisis centers, and which ones are real health care providers and abortion clinics.