Latin American Feminists Train U.S.-Based Doulas on New Mifepristone Protocol for Second-Trimester Abortions

U.S. abortion doulas are turning to decades of Latin American feminist expertise to make second-trimester medication abortions safer, less painful and more accessible

June 5, 2026
by Carrie N. Baker

Across the world, women living in countries that ban licensed clinicians from performing abortions have always found ways to access abortion outside of the medical system. Today, abortion pills have made it much safer.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and many states banned abortion, U.S.-based activists turned to Latin American feminists who have run collectives supporting women seeking abortions outside of the medical system for decades.

With their guidance, U.S.-based activists have created their own feminist collectives that now serve thousands of women and girls each month in 38 states that ban and restrict abortion access, including the entire Southeast and much of the Midwest of the country. These collectives provide free abortion pills and the doula support to see them through.

Continued: https://msmagazine.com/2026/06/05/two-mifepristone-home-self-managed-abortion-pills-later-late-term-second-trimester-pregnancy/


USA – Need a Safe, Private Abortion? Ask Charley.

“The goal of Charley is to provide people with easy-to-access information about how to find abortion care in every state—even states with restrictions.”

9/12/2023
by CARRIE N. BAKER, Ms. Magazine

On Tuesday, Sept. 12, reproductive health experts launched a new online chatbot named Charley to help abortion seekers in all 50 states find quick, accurate and confidential abortion information, tailored to their individual needs and circumstances.

Available in English and Spanish, Charley explains different abortion methods (from procedural abortion to abortion with pills) and how to access abortion (from in-clinic to telemedicine to self-sourced pills).

Continued: https://msmagazine.com/2023/09/12/need-an-abortion-charley-chatbot-private-anonymous-secure/


How Grassroots Activists Forced a Texas District Attorney to Drop Murder Charges for Self-Induced Abortion

4/18/2022
by CARRIE N. BAKER

On Thursday, April 7, Texas police in the Rio Grande Valley arrested a woman and charged her with murder for allegedly self-inducing an abortion last January. The Starr County Sherriff’s Department detained 26-year-old Lizelle Herrera in a jail near the Texas-Mexico border on a $500,000 bail bond.

Reproductive justice advocates in the community organized a protest at the Starr County Jail on Saturday morning and urged people to call the jail demanding the release of Herrera. Calls poured in from across the country. By Saturday afternoon, If/When/How’s Repro Legal Defense Fund paid Herrera’s bail and she was released.

Continued: https://msmagazine.com/2022/04/18/frontera-fund-lizelle-herrera-murder-abortion-texas-activists/


250 Ads for Self-Managed Abortion Pill Info Launch in NYC Subway System

4/15/2022
by CARRIE N. BAKER, Ms. Magazine

Reproductive health, rights and justice advocates have teamed up to plaster New York City subways with information about how to find abortion pills and access free legal advice about using them. From Queens to the Bronx, in Brooklyn and Manhattan—including Times Square—over 250 posters are now sharing abortion pill information in English and Spanish with the millions of people passing through subway stations and riding the trains each day.

“As politicians and courts continue their assault on abortion access, we are spreading the word that these medically safe and effective pills are available by mail in all 50 states,” said Elisa Wells, co-founder and co-director Plan C, which organized the ad campaign. “Everyone deserves access to this modern medical technology, and we provide the information that people need to take back control of their reproductive autonomy.”

Continued: https://msmagazine.com/2022/04/15/self-managed-abortion-pill-ads-nyc-subway-plan-c-medication-abortion/