TBAF will continue assisting people in the Tampa Bay area seeking abortions outside of Florida
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TAMPA, FL — April 1, 2024 — With the Florida Supreme Court’s decision today to strike down the constitutional right to abortion in the state, Tampa Bay Abortion Fund is fully committed to helping pregnant people in the Tampa Bay area access and pay for abortion care outside of Florida. This cruel, extreme ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy is now scheduled to take effect on May 1, 2024. It will effectively cut off abortion access within the state of Florida, as most people do not know they are pregnant until around or after the six-week mark.
At Tampa Bay Abortion Fund, we are ready, and we are here to help our community access abortion no matter what. We have spent this year working with our partners in less restrictive states, including abortion funds and clinics, to build up the capacity and resources necessary to get people the care they deserve as quickly as possible. For the most up-to-date list of the out-of-state clinics where TBAFund provides financial support, visit tbafund.com.
“Abortion is essential healthcare, and while they might make it significantly harder to do so, no politician can stop us from accessing our basic right to abortion,” says Kris Lawler, Tampa Bay Abortion Fund Board President.
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the implementation of Florida’s 15-week ban, Tampa Bay Abortion Fund has assisted thousands of abortion-seekers, including many who needed to seek abortion care outside of Florida with funding and logistics support for their abortion, transportation, hotel stays, and other needs. Demand for TBAFund’s services hit unprecedented highs last year. In 2023, we funded:
- 2,660 callers, including 303 traveling out of their home state for their abortion.
- More than $650,000 in appointment costs.
- Over $67,000 in practical support, such as plane tickets and hotel stays.
“Every caller to TBAFund is already facing one or more barriers to care, such as a lack of funding, transportation, childcare, or a nearby abortion clinic in their community. The six-week ban will only exacerbate those barriers in the cruelest fashion,” Lawler says. “We anticipate that 90% or more of our callers will be impacted by a six-week abortion ban and will need to seek abortion care outside of Florida. We will be here to help them do that.”
With most Florida abortion seekers now facing the massive additional expense of traveling out of state, TBAFund’s work will largely shift to funding practical support. We expect a significant increase in callers and thus a subsequent rise in costs. Tampa Bay Abortion Fund is calling on the Tampa Bay community to help us continue funding abortion care by making a one-time or recurring donation at tbafund.com/donate. Community support will be crucial to help us continue to meet the increased need of abortion-seekers in the Tampa Bay area.
To learn more about abortion options, including self-managed abortion, our upcoming events, donate, volunteer, or host a fundraiser, visit tbafund.com.
ABOUT TAMPA BAY ABORTION FUND:
Tampa Bay Abortion Fund removes financial and logistical barriers to abortion access. It specifically assists pregnant people needing support seeking abortion at abortion providers in several counties surrounding Tampa Bay. TBAF currently assists callers with appointments at clinics around Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater and also supports Tampa Bay residents receiving care at our partner clinics outside of Florida.
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CONTACT:
McKenna Kelley
mckenna@tbafund.com
If you’d like to help us continue making abortion accessible in the Tampa Bay area, visit http://fund.nnaf.org/TBAF24 or tbafund.com/donate. Please consider making your contribution monthly to help us cover the increased practical support costs Florida’s likely six-week ban will bring. Thank you.
Tampa Bay Abortion Fund 