In Response to Landmark Decision, Adams Administration Has Dramatically
Expanded Access to Reproductive Care in New York City
New Yorkers Can Learn More About City’s Abortion Services Online
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan, and NYC Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H) President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD today marked two years since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to effectively overturn Roe v. Wade after almost 50 years of precedent and strip Americans of their right to access safe, legal abortions. Since that decision, New York City has scaled up access to reproductive health care across city facilities to ensure that people who need reproductive care are still able to receive it.
“Today marks two years since the Supreme Court threw out decades of precedent, overruled the majority of Americans, and imperiled the health of women everywhere,” said Mayor Adams. “While our entire city was devastated by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, we were not deterred. Our administration signed six bills into law to protect reproductive rights in our city — providing free abortion medication at our local sexual health clinics, establishing telehealth abortion services to connect people with reproductive care, and more. Access to safe, legal abortion care is the cornerstone of public health and will always be available in New York City for anyone who needs it.”
“Two years ago today, the Supreme Court made the devastating decision to roll back reproductive rights and endanger the health of women across America,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Despite this ruling, New York City remained committed to making sure that everyone who needs reproductive care can receive it, and that is exactly what we have done. Our New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and public hospital system have introduced a suite of services to protect abortion access and continue to lead the country in fighting for reproductive rights, today and every day.”
“In New York City, we know that abortion care is health care, and health care is a human right,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Vasan. “We will continue to uphold our responsibility as a city to be a safe haven for reproductive rights and as a public health authority to deliver policies and programs that protect privacy and safety, ensure quality of care, and increase access to health care and social supports, to ensure that all who need essential reproductive health care can get it in our city.”
“NYC Health + Hospitals supports the rights of all patients to make informed decisions about their health and health care, including their right to make decisions about their reproductive health,” said NYC H+H President and CEO Katz, MD. “Abortion is medical care, and we are proud to offer our patients abortion counseling and care whenever they need it. Our caring and compassionate health care providers will make sure our patients have the support they need.”
In 2022, in its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right to access safe, legal abortion care nationwide. Since that decision, New York City has introduced a range of services to protect and fulfill the local right to access abortion care. Since launching the New York City Abortion Access Hub in November 2022, thousands of callers and chatters have been directed to reproductive health services and resources through NYC H+H and providers throughout New York City.
The city — alongside health care providers, patients, and dedicated supporters of reproductive care — has weathered ongoing attempts to restrict access to mifepristone, one of two drugs used for more than two decades in medication abortion and has continued to support unfettered access to this safe and effective medication. In August 2022, Mayor Adams signed legislation enabling access to no-cost medication abortion at DOHMH sexual health clinics, and, earlier this year, New York City successfully co-led a national coalition in filing an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to protect access to mifepristone.
NYC H+H offers access to a full spectrum of medication and procedural abortion services at their 11 hospitals, offering abortion care throughout the first and second trimester. To add to their options, in October 2023, NYC H+H launched telehealth abortion access through Virtual ExpressCare — becoming the first public health system in the nation to do so. Patients in New York City seeking abortion care can schedule a Virtual ExpressCare appointment to speak with a New York state-licensed health care professional by video or phone, on-demand, for an assessment and counseling. If clinically appropriate and prescribed, patients will be able to receive a medication abortion kit at their New York City address within a few days. Since its launch in October 2023, the service has provided nearly 2,000 virtual visits, mailed over 550 abortion kits, and referred over 750 patients for in-person care. The average wait time for a virtual visit is less than five minutes, and o ver 75 percent of the patients so far have identified as people of color. Patients can access telehealth abortion care online or by calling (718) 360-8981.
Additionally, in January 2024, Mayor Adams launched “Women Forward NYC: An Action Plan for Gender Equity,” a more than $43 million investment aimed at making New York City a national leader on gender equity, including for transgender and gender expansive New Yorkers, with the ambitious goal of becoming the most women-forward city in the United States. Supported through city dollars, private and public partnerships, academic institutions, and federal grant funding, the action plan addresses gender disparities by connecting women to professional development and higher-paying jobs; dismantling barriers to sexual, reproductive, and chronic health care; reducing gender-based violence against women; and providing holistic housing services, including for formerly incarcerated women and domestic and gender-based violence survivors.
Anyone in need of abortion services or support in accessing care can receive referrals by calling 877-NYC-AHUB (877-692-2482). For those who might prefer to start the conversation over text, there is now a live chat feature to connect them to a phone operator.
New Yorkers can learn more about all the abortion services offered by the city by going online.
June 24, 2024 New York City Hall Manhattan
Sources: Midtown Tribune news, NYC.gov
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