New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom.
Including New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan, and NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD today hailed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Food and Drug Administration et al. v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al., rejecting an attempt to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone.
“… abortion care will always be available in New York City …”
“Since the Supreme Court stripped away the constitutional right to access an abortion two years ago, there have been extremists who have tried to continue the war on reproductive rights by restricting access to even the most basic level of care. To be clear, reproductive care IS health care, and today’s decision by the highest court in the land halts those who continue to look for ways to control people’s bodies, their choices, and their freedoms,” said Mayor Adams. “New York City will continue to ensure people have access to the care they need when they need it — from offering free abortion medications at local sexual health clinics to connecting people to abortion care and financial support to connecting patients with provider within minutes through telehealth abortion services to going to any of our public hospitals for in-person abortion care. No matter what happens across the country, abortion care will always be available in New York City for anyone who needs it. It’s time to codify abortion care into federal law, once and for all.”
“Health care is a human right, and that includes reproductive care,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Williams-Isom. “We are encouraged by today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, but we know that future challenges to reproductive rights will persist. Our New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and public hospital system remain committed to providing reproductive care and we as a city remain committed to protecting those rights today and long into the future.”
“Abortion is safe, effective health care,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Vasan. “The New York City Health Department will continue to ensure people have access to the care they need when they need it — from offering free medications like mifepristone at our sexual health clinics to connecting people from around the country to abortion care and financial support in New York City through the Abortion Access Hub. Today, the Supreme Court did the right thing. And here in New York City, our commitment to health care as a human right and the availability of abortion services will never waver.”
“… we are grateful that today’s Supreme Court ruling preserves access …”
“NYC Health + Hospitals has a deep commitment to the reproductive freedom of our patients, so we are grateful that today’s Supreme Court ruling preserves access to an essential drug for medication abortion and miscarriage management, mifepristone,” said NYC H+H President and CEO Katz, MD. “Medication abortion is safe, effective, and often the preferred method by patients for terminating a pregnancy. Our patients, and patients nationwide, will thankfully continue to receive the latest in evidence-based reproductive care and can access it when and how they need it.”
In 2022, in its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right to access safe, legal abortion care nationwide. Since that decision, New York City has introduced a range of services to protect and fulfill the local right to access abortion care. Since launching the New York City Abortion Access Hub in November 2022, thousands of callers and chatters have been directed to reproductive health services and resources through NYC H+H and providers throughout New York City.
The city — alongside health care providers, patients, and dedicated supporters of reproductive care — has weathered ongoing attempts to restrict access to mifepristone, one of two drugs used for more than two decades in medication abortion and has continued to support unfettered access to this safe and effective medication. In August 2022, Mayor Adams signed legislation enabling access to no cost medication abortion at DOHMH sexual health clinics.
“… the first public health system in the nation to do so.”
In October 2023, NYC H+H launched telehealth abortion access through Virtual ExpressCare — becoming the first public health system in the nation to do so. Patients in New York City seeking abortion care can schedule a Virtual ExpressCare appointment to speak with a New York state-licensed healthcare professional by video or phone, on-demand, for an assessment and counseling. If clinically appropriate and prescribed, patients will be able to receive a medication abortion kit at their New York City address within a few days. This service is available seven days a week, between 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM, and will provide patients with access to safe, legal abortion care. Patients can access telehealth abortion care online or by calling (718) 360-8981.
Additionally, in January 2024, Mayor Adams launched “Women Forward NYC: An Action Plan for Gender Equity,” a more than $43 million investment aimed at making New York City a national leader on gender equity, including for transgender and gender-expansive New Yorkers, with the ambitious goal of becoming the most women-forward city in the United States. Supported through city dollars, private and public partnerships, academic institutions, and federal grant funding, the action plan addresses gender disparities by connecting women to professional development and higher-paying jobs; dismantling barriers to sexual, reproductive, and chronic health care; reducing gender-based violence against women; and providing holistic housing services, including for formerly incarcerated women and domestic and gender-based violence survivors.
Anyone in need of abortion services or support in accessing care can receive referrals by calling 877-NYC-AHUB (877-692-2482). For those who might prefer to start the conversation over text, there is now a chat feature to connect them to a phone operator.
New Yorkers can learn more about all the abortion services offered by the city by going online.
Photo credit: Wiki.
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