It was summer 2022. The Supreme Court had just struck down Roe v. Wade, and the status of abortion rights in my state was like a sandcastle during high tide – bound to be destroyed, but with no way to know when exactly or what would, if anything, be left.
I am not at a very high risk of becoming pregnant, and I have access to good healthcare, contraceptives, and means of traveling. But I can’t say the same for everyone I know, and I know that in the case of an unwanted pregnancy, time is precious. Even if I offered every person I could an immediate ride to a state-over clinic, jobs, kids, pets, and other responsibilities from all parties involved are bound to get in the way. And since a week waiting for a day off or for an abusive partner to leave town can make all the difference in such a situation, I wanted to have a back-up plan.
Like for many in the past year, that alternative came in the form of over-the-Internet abortion pills.
By then, I had seen several posts on social media about how to order abortion pills, but didn’t know where to start, or what sites to trust. So I visited PlanCPills.org and used their Abortion Pill Access Guide to see what options were available in my state.
The first on the list was AidAccess.org, a reputable telehealth service supported by volunteer physicians in the U.S. and Europe. Despite other telehealth pharmacies halting the sending of abortion pills to certain states post-Dobbs v. Jackson, AidAccess continues to provide pills to people in all 50 states (and hopefully always will!).
I had heard about AidAccess through social media and friends, so decided it would be my first choice. They had a comprehensive list of common questions and answers around abortion pills, and video guides illustrating how to use the pills. I wasn’t planning on having to use them any time soon, but liked the idea of being able to refer back to their site if needed.
I followed the “order” link on their site, and filled out the required information. I made sure to click the box that marked me as someone who was getting the pills to have “just in case,” rather than someone who was currently pregnant and in need of them right away, and agreed to contact AidAccess again if I ever became pregnant and was going to use the pills. The site told me that the process would cost over $100, which was doable for me at the time, and also that they had financial assistance available if needed that they could give me more info about once I finished out the initial form.
After I filled out the form, the next steps were laid out for me: I would receive an email confirming my request for help, and then would be required to send a photo of my ID – a student card, driver’s license, or anything else with a photo and date of birth – and a copy of an ultrasound, if I had one available. Then I would receive instructions on how to provide payment, and finally, receive a prescription from a doctor, and my pills would be shipped in the mail.
I sent in the photo of my ID, and promptly received a reply. Once I sent proof of payment per their instructions, I received a follow-up asking for verification of my email and other information. Then, my package was on its way!
At the time, the whole process cost $150 and I received the pills in about 4 days after they shipped. Now, people in certain states have to get prescriptions from doctors in Europe, with the cost being around $105, and the shipping taking 1 to 3 weeks – which is another reason why ordering ahead of time is so important! You can follow the “Order” link to enter your state and view the estimated shipping time before placing an order. As mentioned previously, they can provide financial assistance. Other groups, locally or online, might also provide funds for you in the chance that AidAccess can or will not.
The pills arrived in an inconspicuous package, with a nondescript return address. Inside were two pill bottles, containing the medications usually prescribed for abortions, misoprostol and mifepristone, and several pages of information and instructions.
I stored the pills in a cool, dry place, as recommended for most medications. The average shelf-life of misoprostol is 2 years, while the shelf-life of mifepristone is 5 years. If I ever need to use the pills, I feel certain I will be able to safely self-administer them using the provided information and online resources.
In the following weeks, I helped several of my friends, including those who cannot get pregnant (and are not marked as “female” on their identification, if that is a concern) order abortion pills through the same avenue. I feel safer knowing that I have this resource available for myself and people close to me. Ordering abortion pills gave me power and autonomy during a time that I was starting to feel like I had none, and let me remain in control of my own body and my own future.
If you have any questions about ordering abortion pills or accessing other reproductive care, feel free to contact us here.