Floating abortion clinic in Gulf of Mexico proposed by doctor

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A California doctor is proposing a floating abortion clinic in the Gulf of Mexico as a technique to preserve entry for individuals in southern states the place abortion bans have been enacted.

The concept is to supply a clinic aboard a ship in federal waters, and out of attain of state legal guidelines, that may provide first trimester surgical abortions, contraception and different care, stated Dr. Meg Autry, an obstetrician and gynecologist and a professor on the University of California San Francisco.

“There’s been an assault on reproductive rights in our country and I’m a lifelong advocate for reproductive health and choice. We have to create options and be thoughtful and creative to help people in restrictive states get the health care they deserve,” she advised The Associated Press.

Autry stated the concept is just in the fundraising stage via the non-profit, “PRROWESS” — quick for “Protecting Reproductive Rights Of Women Endangered by State Statutes.”

The proposal comes as abortion entry in the southern United States has been swiftly curtailed after the U.S. Supreme Court turned the difficulty of abortion again to the states.

Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas have had abortion bans take impact. A Florida legislation, which is in impact after a authorized back-and-forth, prohibits abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions if the process is critical to avoid wasting a life, stop critical damage or if the fetus has a deadly abnormality.

Autry stated their authorized group believes there’s a swath of federal water the place licensed suppliers might safely and legally present abortions out of attain of state legal guidelines. For ladies in southern states with abortion bans, going to the coast and boarding a ship could also be nearer and simpler than making an attempt to journey to a state the place abortion stays authorized, she stated.

“This is closer and faster access for some people, particularly for working people that live in the southernmost part of these states,” she stated.

Autry stated they’re nonetheless making an attempt to work out many of the main points similar to the place the boat will launch and the way ladies would get to the ship.