Abortions at the DNC? Planned Parenthood bus providing no-cost service and vasectomies

Planned Parenthood has placed reproductive rights front and center at this year’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago and is offering free vasectomies, medication abortions and emergency contraceptives to attendees through its mobile health bus.

The Planned Parenthood Great Rivers of St. Louis announced on X that its bus will be in Chicago on Monday and Tuesday to provide these services, directly challenging the shifting landscape of reproductive rights in the United States since the last Democratic convention, after the U.S. Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v Wade in 2022.

How has abortion changed since the 2020 Democratic convention?

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, 22 states have either banned abortion or imposed additional restrictions on access, which includes:

• Full bans in 14 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.

• Access through six weeks: Florida, Georgia, Iowa and South Carolina.

• Access through 12 weeks: Nebraska and North Carolina.

• Access through 15 to 18 weeks: Arizona and Utah.

Additionally, 19 have banned abortion after 18 weeks of pregnancy.

Nine states, in addition to DC, have no ban or gestational limit: Alaska, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon and Vermont.

How to receive reproductive health services at the DNC

All appointments for vasectomies and medication abortions at the Democratic convention are currently filled. Interested individuals are encouraged to check the sign-up form frequently for any cancellations or additional appointment slots.

For those unable to secure an appointment, medication abortion by mail is available through the PPDirect Mobile App. While medication abortion is banned in 18 states, the right to receive abortion pills by mail remains legal in all states.

Plan C is another organization that can help with obtaining medication abortion.

What is medication abortion?

Medication abortion is a common practice to end an early pregnancy at home. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of abortion pills through 10 weeks of pregnancy since 2020, according to Hey Jane, a pro-choice health care provider.

The standard medication abortion regimen involves the ingestion of two medications:

• ?Mifepristone: Step one of the FDA-approved protocol, which blocks the hormone progesterone to stop the pregnancy from growing.

• Misoprostol: Step two of the FDA-approved protocol, which causes the uterus to contract and leads to cramping and bleeding, similar to an early miscarriage.

The World Health Organization also shares a protocol that uses misoprostol only, but most virtual clinics in the U.S. will prescribe both medications.

What is emergency contraception?

Emergency contraception, or the morning-after bill, is a form of birth control used to prevent pregnancy for up to five days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. The pill does not act as an abortion pill, but rather, delays or preventing the release of an egg from the ovaries, or ovulation.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Planned Parenthood providing free abortion, vasectomies at DNC