Anti-abortion trigger law goes into effect in Mississippi, closing state's only abortion clinic

This week, advocates for abortion rights attempted to block the state’s trigger law from going into effect, but their request for injunctive relief was denied. Outside of the clinic yesterday [on Wednesday], a final crowd of patients came and went from the facility for what could be the final voluntary abortions legally performed in the state.

Helping to get cars in and out safely is James Parker with the Pink house Defenders. He says without the Jackson Women’s Health Organization, many women will lose their access to affordable reproductive healthcare.

“Abortions are not gonna stop, says Parker. “Safe, regulated medical abortion will be pretty much stopped. Especially for people who are poor, and Jackson which is 85% black. It’s going to be very hard on that population.”

For those carrying their pregnancy to birth, advocates say the state will have a growing need for midwives and doulas. Getty Israel, Executive Director of Sisters in Birth, says they are developing a program where people from across the state can come stay at their facility in Jackson and have access to a variety of healthcare necessities.

“And so we’ll be able to provide pre-conception care for those women who are uninsured, we’ll be able to provide prenatal care, primary care, deliver the babies, provide breastfeeding support, and community health workers who go into the home providing home visitation,” says Israel

There are also several funds that are growing across the Southeast to help pregnant people seek an abortion in states where the procedure is legally available.