Violation of Freedom and Commitment to Abortion Rights
TAMPA, FLORIDA, March 3 – Upon the passing and signing of HB5, Tampa Bay Access Force is committing itself to supporting pro-abortion candidates in the upcoming 2022 election. HB5 moved quickly and without allowing people to speak their truths to the legislators about their experiences with abortion. We are not surprised by the passing of HB5 and the forthcoming abortion ban. Florida Republicans have been setting the stage for years to do so.
Tampa Bay Access Force will be endorsing pro-abortion candidates this year, and will be targeting our efforts to unseat legislators who voted to ban abortion in Florida. Any abortion ban takes essential freedoms away from people, and we will defend our freedom of bodily autonomy.
While abortion will be banned after 15 weeks in Florida, abortion will still be accessible. Support and fund networks exist in Florida to support people to access abortion. To learn more, visit the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund resource page.
“These arbitrary barriers will not stop the need or access to abortion. It will make it more expensive, time consuming, and an overall headache for people who are already marginalized, income constrained, and didn’t need another form of oppression from cis-white men in the Florida legislature. At a time when we should be supporting our people in the midst of a pandemic and economic crisis, the Florida Legislature chose to create another burden for its people,” said President Lisa Kovacs.
The Tampa Bay Access Force is a 501(c)4 dedicated to advocating for abortion rights in Florida.
Tampa Bay Abortion Fund Launches Educational Campaign on Managing Medication Abortions
“All pregnant people deserve the most comprehensive information when it comes to managing care at home.”
(1/11/22) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tampa Bay Access Force, the advocacy arm of the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund, is proud to announce the launch of a major initiative to ensure pregnant people in the Tampa Bay area have access to the most comprehensive, evidence-based best practices for ending a pregnancy via the use of abortion pills.
“Knowledge belongs to everyone, and being informed about the most basic best practices when it comes to your body remains a right to every person capable of pregnancy – whether abortion remains legal in this state or not,” said Kris Lawler, TBAF Board President.
With the Supreme Court poised to announce a ruling this June that many expect could curtail or outright eliminate legal abortion access in much of the country, many have worried about the potential dangers that could befall those who decide to obtain medications to terminate a pregnancy outside of a legal abortion clinic. But as Lawler at TBAF explains, as much as 39% of clinic-based abortions in the US are already done via medication, according to the Guttmacher Institute, with patients taking one or in some cases both medications at home.
“We already live in the age of self-managed abortions and have been for two decades,” said Lawler. “Whether a person obtains their medication from a local abortion provider, or purchases them from a verified provider, the dosage, instructions and potential medical risks are all identical. It is this information that we are determined to get into the hands of those who may need it.”
While medication abortion administration is no different regardless of whether the medicine came from a clinic or an online provider, it remains legally risky for those in Florida to obtain medicines outside of current Florida regulations, including requiring an in person visit to a licensed abortion provider. “Instructions for medication abortion were created by the World Health Organization, and it is those protocols that clinics use,” said Lawler. “Sharing those protocols with the possibility that those who may be unable to access an in clinic abortion may also find them is an act of public education we believe is essential for protecting public health.”
TBAF is conducting this educational outreach because as the media covers this topic, they have noted with some concern that inaccurate information regarding self-managed care and abortion itself has been reported. Please see the following information about medication abortion and self-managed care, developed by TBAF.
Medication Abortion and Self-Managed Care Fact Sheet
Medication abortion is the combination of mifepristone and misoprostol as a means of terminating a pregnancy before 12 weeks. For clinical medication abortions, a patient will often take one mifepristone to stop the pregnancy from developing, then wait 24 hours and take four misoprostol either in the cheek or in the vagina, letting it dissolve for 30 minutes, which will begin contractions that will cause the uterus to expel the pregnancy. If both medications are taken and the instructions are followed, the process is successful 93.8% of the time, per a November 2021 Studying Accompaniment Model Feasibility and Effectiveness (SAFE) study posted in Lancet Global Health.
There is no difference in protocol between a medication abortion done at home with medicines from a clinic and a medication abortion done at home with verified medicines procured from a reliable source outside a clinic setting. And scientific studies have found that people who self-manage using pills with accurate information and are able to do so effectively.
In Florida there is currently no ability to obtain medication abortion via telemedine or online. Florida law requires each patient to have an ultrasound prior to an abortion, requiring at least one clinic visit in order to access an abortion, regardless of whether it is a surgical or medication abortion
While there is no specific law stating that a person could be jailed for self-managing their abortion, Florida has a feticide law that protects a fetus or embryo “at any stage of development.” While feticide laws were allegedly intended not to be used against the pregnant person, states like Indiana have used them against people who have procured their own abortions. This means that there can be some legal risk to ending your own pregnancy—especially if using the medications past the recommended time frame of 10-12 weeks—and you can contact the Repro Legal Helpline at 844.868.2812 if you have specific questions about the laws in Florida or your individual risk.
To sign up for legislative updates and action items for the Tampa Bay Area and Florida, sign up for our email list at the link below. If you’re interested in volunteering for Tampa Bay Access Force, please fill out our Volunteer Application.
Florida Legislators Start the 2022 Session by Banning Abortion
January 12th was the Florida Legislators’ first day back for the 2022 Legislative Session. House and Senate Republicans wasted no time in attacking access to abortion.
Representative Erin Grill and Senator Kelly Stargel filed a HB5 & SB146- bills that would restrict abortion in Florida. This bill bans abortion with no concern for the pregnant person’s circumstances. In the very limited circumstances where abortion would be allowed in this bill, the pregnant person would be forced to jump through unnecessary hoops to obtain access to this safe and common procedure.
The Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates released the following fact sheet about this unnecessary bill:
Fact Sheet from Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates
Call to Action!
We need YOUR HELP in letting Florida Legislators know that FLORIDIANS DO NOT SUPPORT BANS ON ABORTION! Floridians deserve the right to make their personal health decisions without the involvement of legislators. As The Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates stated, “This legislation is an attempt to advance a political agenda over sound science and medicine.”
HB 5, the 15 Week Abortion Ban will be heard in the House Professions & Public Health Subcommittee on Wednesday, January 19th from 1pm to 3pm.
** Sign up here (through Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida) to testify in person in the committee on Wednesday, Jan 19th from 1pm to 3pm.
If you’re unable to testify in person in the committee, you can share this information on social media, and also help by contacting FL Legislators:
(850) 717-5119 Script: “Hello my name is ________. I am urging Representative Fernandez-Barquin to vote NO on HB 5, an abortion ban, on Wednesday. The people of Florida will remember. Abortion bans are unpopular with most Floridians, who respect the privacy of medical decision.”
(850) 717-5023 Script: “Hello my name is ________. I am urging Representative McClain to vote NO on HB 5, an abortion ban, on Wednesday. The people of Florida will remember. Abortion bans are unpopular with most Floridians, who respect the privacy of medical decision.”
(850) 717-5082 Script: “Hello my name is ________. I am urging Representative Snyder to vote NO on HB 5, an abortion ban, on Wednesday. The people of Florida will remember. Abortion bans are unpopular with most Floridians, who respect the privacy of medical decision.”
(850) 717-5071 Script: “Hello my name is ________. I am urging Representative Robinson to vote NO on HB 5, an abortion ban, on Wednesday. The people of Florida will remember. Abortion bans are unpopular with most Floridians, who respect the privacy of medical decision.”
(850) 717-5055 Script: “Hello my name is ________. I am urging Representative Tuck to vote NO on HB 5, an abortion ban, on Wednesday. The people of Florida will remember. Abortion bans are unpopular with most Floridians, who respect the privacy of medical decision.”
To sign up for legislative updates and action items for the Tampa Bay Area and Florida, sign up for our email list at the link below. If you’re interested in volunteering for Tampa Bay Access Force, please fill out our Volunteer Application.
If you’re a St. Pete resident, please visit: http://bit.ly/fundabortionstpete to urge your City Leaders to support abortion care!
Each of us should be able to live, work, and make decisions about our health and our future with dignity and economic security. With increased attacks on abortion in the courts and Florida anti-abortion politicians gearing up to pass more abortion restrictions in early 2022, it’s more important than ever that we help our fellow community members get the care they need. At the same time, Florida is already seeing an influx of patients unable to access abortion care in Texas due to the impact of Senate Bill 8. Local elected officials play a crucial role in this. The St. Petersburg City Council has an opportunity to support abortion access by allocating funding to the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund who help St. Petersburg residents and people who travel to St. Petersburg from across the state and country with financial assistance for abortion and travel related costs.
To read more about Progress Florida and TBAF’s vision for comprehensive coverage of abortion in St. Petersburg, visit our informational handout, “The City of St. Petersburg’s Allocation of ARPA Funds Should Reflect Local Priorities: Building The World We Need,” at: https://bit.ly/StPeteFunding.
To sign up for legislative updates and action items for the Tampa Bay Area and Florida, sign up for our email list at the link below. If you’re interested in volunteering for Tampa Bay Access Force, please fill out our Volunteer Application.
We saw marches and rallies all across the U.S. this past week in support of Abortion Justice. But what are our next steps? Tampa Bay Access Force has worked with our partners to give you a list of action steps that you can do now ensure that abortion becomes more accessible and less stigmatized – no matter where you are in the U.S.
TBAF volunteer, Alexx spoke to the crowd at the rally in Tampa on October 2nd. Watch her speech here.
What can YOU do NOW? 1) Ask your US Senators to support the WHPA and EACH Acts that will protect abortion access on a national legislative level (visit this website to find your US Senator and their contact information) 2) Educate everyone in your community about safe, self-managed abortion through Plan C 3) Listen to the folx on the ground who are working with clients day in/day out to get them access wherever they may need it. Donate to your local abortion fund or volunteer for your local Reproductive Justice organization, if able. 4) VOTE for on the record pro-choice candidates
* What does abortion justice mean? Abortion Justice is a phrase coined by our friends at All* Above All that recognizes that racism, economic insecurity, and immigration status multiply the massive barriers to abortion care. So, our solutions must include racial, economic, and immigrant justice. Abortion justice is about more than just protecting Roe—the right to an abortion. The reality is, the legal right to abortion alone has never been enough to ensure people, especially BIPOC and people working to make ends meet, can get the care they need when they need it. We need more than legality, we need a world where abortion is affordable and available in all of our communities, when people need care, from providers and in ways that people trust. (Source)
To sign up for legislative updates and action items for the Tampa Bay Area and Florida, sign up for our email list at the link below. If you’re interested in volunteering for Tampa Bay Access Force, please fill out our Volunteer Application.
Tampa Bay Access Force 