Meet the people ensuring Iowans have abortion access

Abortion access will be harder once Iowa’s near-total abortion ban goes into effect, but there are people and organizations working to make sure Iowans can still get abortion care. And they’ll keep fighting.

Iowa now bans abortion before most people know they’re pregnant.

But vast networks of people are committed to helping Iowans continue accessing abortions. They said Iowans should remember one thing: they’re not going anywhere.

Abortion funds are some of the biggest sources for assistance. Abortion funds are organizations that connect people who need abortions with the financial aid—or any other resource—they need in order to get one. And there’s a nationwide network of them. That aid can include money for gas, a plane ticket, a hotel, the appointment itself, and more.

The Iowa Abortion Access Fund is the second oldest in the country. Lyz Lenz of Cedar Rapids, co-chair of the fund’s board, said they will do whatever they can for Iowans after the ban goes into effect.

“We are going to continue to operate no matter what the laws are,” Lenz said. “We will continue to provide abortion care for Iowans and help for Iowans no matter what. We’re committed to that work.”

Requests for help in 2024 have increased by 7% compared to requests last year. Since 2021, the fund has seen a 27% increase. There have been increases since 2017, Lenz said, which was when the state of Iowa privatized Medicaid. As a result, Planned Parenthood locations across Iowa closed, taking away the family planning services Iowans had relied on.

Now, a third of Iowa’s counties are considered maternal care deserts. The problem is likely to get worse because of the near-total abortion ban. After all, OB-GYNs have fled other states with strict abortion bans.

That’s why Lenz stressed how Iowa’s fund will be here for Iowans. In fact, the fund has recently partnered with the Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) because they have more staff to help Iowa’s fund process the requests.

“We’ve already been partnering with out-of-state clinics to give grants for those people needing abortion care,” she said. “The only thing that is going to change on our end is the phone number that they call.”

Outside help for abortion access

“Our goal is that when someone touches base with someone who works for CAF, that becomes their main point of contact, so they’re not needing to call multiple people or call other funds,” said Qudsiyyah Shariyf, the deputy director of CAF.

“A big reason behind this partnership with Iowa Abortion Access Fund was to really streamline the ways that Iowans could get support.”

The fund has eight full-time staff members on phones and volunteers who take calls from Monday to Saturday, call people back, and help coordinate whatever support callers need.

To get help, fill out CAF’s online form or call it at 312-663-0338. A staff member at CAF will look at the request, and based on the information provided and how urgently you need help, they’ll call back with 24-72 hours and work with you to get what you need.

“We’re helping people really through whatever they need—from start to finish—and trying to meet them where they’re at,” Shariyf said.

Illinois is a safe-haven state for abortion access. Abortion providers are protected by law from being prosecuted by out-of-state officials, and abortion is fully legal and protected under Illinois law.

“At Chicago Abortion Fund, we’re really committed to leveraging [our resources] because we understand that borders are fake, but they do have real implications on people’s lives,” Shariyf said. “And we want to leverage the support that we have in our state and the legislators we have.”

Abortion funds aren’t the only ones available to help Iowans navigate the new ban.

Finding abortion access with Planned Parenthood

Every day, Kristina Remus answers phones and gives advice or information about abortion options in the Upper Midwest as a patient services associate for Planned Parenthood North Central States.

When people call Planned Parenthood, she’s one of the first points of contact. Sometimes, she transfers them to other departments, but she said she spends a lot of time answering questions and helping people talk through their situations and options.

“Even if people don’t want to schedule, but they just have questions, we always encourage people to call—even if they just want to know what their options are in the future, we’re happy to just help people even process because it is a really big change,” she said.

Since the Iowa Supreme Court’s June ruling allowing the state’s near-total ban to go into effect, Remus said her phone calls from Iowans have been full of confusion and worry.

“At the moment, it’s just a lot of giving reassurance,” she said.

Planned Parenthood is still figuring out the logistics of how the ban will impact its services, so Remus can’t do much more than answer basic questions.

Remus isn’t a stranger to helping people figure out where they need to travel to get abortions, either. After all, she also gets calls from people in the Dakotas and Nebraska, where abortions are banned. (Nebraska’s ban is 12 weeks, the Dakotas have total bans with little-to-no exceptions.

She tries to help people find appointments close to home, and then expands based on their individual preferences.

“I want them to have that autonomy over their care, so I lay it all out for them and let them select whatever works best,” Remus said.

Remus loves any time she’s able to connect with people and help them process and understand their situations.

And, she said, Planned Parenthood isn’t going anywhere. Services may have to adjust to work with Iowa’s ban, but if anyone needs help and reaches out, Remus is committed to doing whatever she can to help people get the care they need.

“This abortion ban is new,” she said. “Helping patients navigate this confusing landscape is not.”