Repro Roundup: Just the Pill is a new telabortion provider for rural Minnesota

Welcome to my column, The Repro Roundup, in which I summarize abortion news happening around the country, why it matters, and what you can do about it — in 250 words or less.

What’s the issue? A new, online digital reproductive health care provider is live providing sexual and reproductive health care via telehealth for rural Minnesotans. JustThePill.com provides abortion medication, birth control, and STI treatments through phonecalls or online appointments with doctors. Soon, they plan on providing gender-affirming hormonal therapies as well.

Why does this matter? During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for telabortion care is clearer than ever. But for people seeking abortions in rural counties, this need has always existed. In Minnesota, 97% of counties had no abortion clinics, according to Guttmacher. Additionally, the state has a 24-hour waiting period that requires a patient to be counseled with biased and inaccurate information before being forced to delay their abortion care. This makes abortion inaccessible to many in the state, especially those struggling to make ends meet. An online option to receive care and pills through the mail is a great step in the right direction, though the cost of the appointment is steep at $350. JustThePill says they do not take insurance but will not turn a patient away if they can’t meet the cost.

What action can I take?

• Visit JustThePill.com
• Donate to Our Justice’s abortion fund (they provide financial assistance, lodging, emotional support, and contraception coverage), or Spiral Collective (they provide doulas, support, financial assistance, transportation, and much more)
• Sign this petition from the National Women’s Health Network calling on the FDA to make telabortion more accessible

• Subscribe to The Repro Queen of DC, my monthly newsletter on abortion access, activism, and writing on the frontlines of DC.
• Subscribe to Repro 101, a seven-week educational email series about all things repro. Topics include the basics of funding abortion, clinic escorting, anti-choice violence, and more.
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