Frequently Asked Questions
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Fund Access Forward continually monitors threats to abortion access. Since June 2022, many states have made laws to restrict access to abortion for their residents, including criminal charges against telehealth abortion providers and civil suits against abortion providers. A few states have labeled the pills used for abortion controlled substances, to make them more difficult to obtain for any use, including inside hospitals. States also promote disinformation about abortion access as “free speech,” and use state funds to support centers where women are often misled about abortion and childbearing, or pressured to place their children for adoption.
As of July 2026, no state has explicit criminal penalties for residents who order abortion pills for early abortion. However, criminalizing people who get abortions is commonly discussed by anti-abortion groups and politicians.
In the federal realm, there are 4 current lawsuits by states and individuals whose aim is to make abortion pills illegal to mail, as well as regulatory pressure on the FDA to withdraw its approval of the pill most commonly used to end an early pregnancy.
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Access to abortion has improved because of organizations like us. Nimble philanthropic support for bold actions extending and improving access to abortion is what we do. Our grantees provide abortion care to some of the most vulnerable people in the US, respond to the public health crisis abortion bans create, and meet our standards by protecting patient privacy.
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The Society of Family Planning and Guttmacher, two organizations that study reproductive care in the US, report that the abortion rate has increased since the Dobbs decision.
However, reliable measurement of the abortion rate is a challenge. Data lags, cuts to public funding for research and public health reporting, and a fragmented network of abortion providers for in-clinic and telehealth contribute to this, and self-managed abortions are inherently difficult to track.
What we do know:
Telehealth abortions have dramatically increased since 2020, and now represent over 1/3 of all abortions.
Abortion providers in access states have reported surges in volume, due to travelers from ban states.
Access to abortion in states like Louisiana is better than it has ever been, due to the availability of abortion pills through telehealth clinics.
However, the barriers for people needing in-clinic care – cost, distance, personal safety – have increased significantly.
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75% of abortion-seekers are low-income. The states banning abortion are also restricting federal and state funding for contraception, making it both harder to avoid pregnancy, and harder to treat pregnancy when it occurs.
A recent report from Abortion Bridge Collaborative shows 1 in 5 independent clinics are at risk of closing in the next 6 months – abortion providers serving ban states are struggling financially, as the demand for expensive procedural abortion shrinks and as more people turn to low-cost medication abortions.
Who uses in-person care:
People fearing criminalization, even when no law on the books specifically outlaws telehealth abortion. Other laws are disproportionately and inaccurately used to punish pregnancy outcomes – especially for people of color – including for miscarriages.
Cannot receive medication by mail due to fear of discovery by partner or family members
Lack a safe mailing address, or privacy or safety at home
Have difficulty navigating websites or lack of reliable internet
Are fearful of safety or security of online options
Who uses telehealth care:
Cannot travel due to lack of reliable or affordable transportation
Cannot take time off work
Cannot leave children unattended
Have language barriers and/or cannot navigate travel logistics
Find safety in anonymity
History of traumatic medical encounters and do not want to see a provider
Cost barriers: even discounted fees are not feasible
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Telehealth clinics provide abortion care remotely. Prescribing clinicians support patients through phone and mobile chat throughout the process, from online request for abortion pills through aftercare. Clinics work with patients to identify complications and follow-up needs, using networks of providers local to the patient for any labs or scans. This is similar to an in-person visit to a clinic for abortion pills, without the travel.
Pills by mail or through a community network may come with a referral to a patient hotline, but don’t offer support from a nurse or doctor helping patients to know whether they need local care and how to find that care.
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Donor privacy is foundational to our work. Fund Access Forward does not participate in third-party charity reporting platforms such as Guidestar or similar databases. In the current environment, the safety of our donors, grantees, and the patients they serve requires that we take a cautious approach to public disclosure of organizational data.
We are committed to full transparency with our donors directly. If you have questions about our financials, governance, or grant making criteria, we welcome you to reach out to us at info@fundaccessforward.org. We are happy to share information in a way that protects everyone involved.
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Medication abortion (abortion using pills) is extremely safe.
Complications are very rare and no different from the complications that can occur with miscarriage. Abortion does not cause infertility or medical problems.
Childbirth is over 30 times more dangerous than a medication abortion.
Sources: "Incidence of Emergency Department Visits and Complications After Abortion," 2015, Ushma D. Upadhyay et al, University of San Francisco; ANSIRH; "Severe maternal morbidity among delivery and postpartum hospitalizations in the United States," 2012, William M. Callaghan, Center for Disease Control and Prevention