Advocating for Abortion in NC

Abortion funds are a critical way to give money to abortion patients who need it now. Many people struggle to afford abortion services. Insurance rarely covers abortion, and the cost can be prohibitive for many patients.  

The Carolina Abortion Fund provides financial support to patients in North and South Carolina who need help paying for their abortion services. Individual donations go directly to the people they serve. By donating, you can help subsidize the cost of abortion for people who can’t afford it.   

You can also fund the clinics that provide abortions in your area. Abortion clinics are nonprofit organizations that rely on donations to continue providing care. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic provides abortions at five health centers in North Carolina: Asheville, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, Chapel Hill, and Wilmington. There are also ten independent clinics in North Carolina: 

• A Preferred Women’s Health Center (Charlotte and Raleigh) 
• A Woman’s Choice (Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh) 
• Family Reproductive Health (Charlotte) 
• A Hallmark Women’s Clinic (Fayetteville and Winston-Salem) 
• North Durham Women’s Health (Durham) 
• UNC Chapel Hill Complex Family Planning Procedures Clinic (Chapel Hill) 

Every election counts.

In 2019 and 2021, the General Assembly passed abortion restrictions, but did not have enough votes to override the governor’s veto, so these laws did not go into effect. After the 2022 elections, the margins became much slimmer, which allowed the General Assembly to override Governor Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 20, a bill that banned abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy and implemented new restrictions on abortion at all stages of pregnancy. 

Electing candidates who are committed to protecting abortion access in North Carolina is absolutely imperative. Many legislators have expressed intent to pass further abortion restrictions, including a complete ban. We cannot let that happen. 

Want to know how your representatives voted on these key issues? Check out our legislator scorecard. 

Get all the information you need to register to vote and learn about upcoming elections at NCvoter.org.

You can also: 

• Get involved with local campaigns to encourage others to vote. Tell your friends and loved ones to vote in the election.  
• Offer rides to people who want to vote but don’t have transportation. 
• Host your own voter registration drive; find out how on the State Board of Elections website.

Abortion restriction has a tumultuous history connected to white supremacy. You can start learning about that with SisterSong, a Black women-created reproductive justice organization, and their page on centering Black women’s issues and leadership. For more coverage on the history of abortion in the U.S., you can take a look at this overview from Planned Parenthood. We've also created a timeline of abortion laws in North Carolina.

Getting an aborton can be a huge financial burden, especially for those who are already struggling to make ends meet. The average cost in North Carolina is $300–$600 for a first trimester abortion, while second trimester abortions can cost much more. The cost of the appointment is not the only financial consideration. Only nine of NC’s 100 counties have an abortion provider, meaning that many must travel to their appointment. They may have to take time off work, which for low-wage workers can be detrimental to their income, if not their employment generally. Sixty percent of people who have abortions already have at least one child, so they may have to arrange childcare, which can be expensive. They may also have to pay for public transportation or ride shares to get to their appointment. Abortion funds sometimes provide financial assistance for these additional costs, but they have limited capacity. 

There are so many more resources for learning about reproductive justice. See "Get involved with reproductive rights organizations" for a list of North Carolina-based organizations that can help provide educational materials and current events related to abortion. 

Becoming a clinic escort is a great way to show your support for abortion patients and improve access to abortion care. Often, protesters stand outside abortion clinics to harass patients. For many, this is an extra deterrent that increases shame and stigma against those exercising their legal right to an abortion. Clinic escorts provide a protective barrier between patients and protesters, limiting their interactions and ensuring that patients have someone on their side as they enter the clinic. The Triangle Abortion Access Coalition and the Charlotte Reproductive Action Network are two organizations operating in NC that coordinate clinic escort volunteers. If you don’t live in the Triangle or Charlotte, you can email your local clinic and ask if they need volunteers.  

You can also follow the work of reproductive rights advocacy organizations. Here is an incomplete list of other organizations seeking to advance reproductive freedom in NC: 

• Planned Parenthood South Atlantic 
• Pro-Choice NC
• Charlotte Reproductive Action Network 
• Triangle Abortion Access Coalition 
• Charlotte for Choice
• SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective

As abortion rights come under threat again and again, organizations across the country are gathering to fight for reproductive rights. Attending protests and staying apprised of other actions in your community can be a helpful way to show your support for abortion rights.  

If you plan to attend a protest, make sure you do so safely. Unfortunately, government and police sometimes violate an individual’s right to protest, and protesters are sometimes met with violence. Knowing your rights is the most powerful weapon you have against police abuse. The ACLU has a guide to your rights while protesting.  

There are also other ways to organize in your community. Collective action can be powerful. Some options may be to: 

• Coordinate rides for people who need transportation to get to their appointment 
• Provide free childcare for folks who need it 
• Organize housing for people coming from out of state for abortion care. 

Consider what abortion patients in your state might need and if you have access, resources, or skills that can help fill that need. We are in this together. It is important for people accessing abortion to know that they’re not alone.  

You can also help reduce abortion stigma by talking about abortion with your friends and loved ones. Abortion stigma is a cultural understanding that abortion is morally wrong or socially unacceptable. This idea contributes to the shame and secrecy surrounding abortion and can make people hesitant to exercise their right to bodily autonomy. On a broader level, this stigma also contributes to the harassment and threats of violence that abortion patients and providers sometimes face.  

People don’t often talk about abortion in their families and communities, but this silence only serves to perpetuate stigma. By opening the conversation with your loved ones, you can help normalize abortion and decrease shame. You may also identify yourself as someone that friends can come to if they need support.  

Oftentimes, people stigmatize abortion without meaning to. It’s important to lead with empathy for the people who have abortions, center their needs and decisions, and bring the conversation back to shared values. Ultimately, abortion is an individual’s decision and they should have power over their own body. Abortion is a normal part of reproductive health care and should be treated as such.  

For more information about abortion stigma, you can visit this page from Planned Parenthood Action Fund and this page from Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. To understand the myriad experiences with abortion, you can read abortion stories (keep in mind that these sometimes include stories of violence and can be triggering for some people). If you feel comfortable, you can also share your own experiences with abortion. 

• Shout Your Abortion
• Abortion Out Loud
• We Testify 
• Planned Parenthood 

We know that business leaders want to protect their employees’ ability to access reproductive health care and trans healthcare and protect the health of the North Carolina economy.

The “Don’t Ban Equality in North Carolina” letter is an opportunity for businesses to make clear to state legislators and to the public that abortion bans and anti-trans legislation will be harmful to North Carolina’s workforce and economy.

If you or someone you know is a business leader in North Carolina, we encourage you to sign on to our letter urging state legislators not to pass legislation limiting abortion access and LGBTQ rights.

Learn more about our don't ban equality letter