5 Things Activists Can Do Right Now To Prepare For a Post-Roe World

Anyone surprised by the news that the US supreme court is about to repeal Roe v. Wade clearly hasn't been paying attention. Take to the streets and protest if it makes you feel better, but I would be astonished if that changes the course of events currently unfolding - this legal challenge has been 50 years in the making, I doubt even the trendiest of hashtags will stop it. By all means activists should continue to pursue legal strategies in the courtroom and at the ballot box, these suggestions aren't a replacement for legal activism... just some tips I picked up outside the US, living in a country where abortion is effectively illegal.

1. Educate yourself on pregnancy termination drugs, especially mifepristone and misoprostol.

These are the safest, most discreet option for ending an unplanned pregnancy (at least, before 11 weeks). Official, safe channels for obtaining them are about to be shut down in most conservative states, but making a substance illegal rarely gets rid of it entirely. I expect the war on pregnancy termination pills to be pretty much like the war on drugs: unsuccessful, expensive and with disproportionate damage done to minority communities.

2. Start advocating for Over-the-Counter access to pregnancy termination drugs in coastal states. 

Right now these drugs require a prescription (for pretty obvious reasons), but I believe coastal states should start selling these OTC so buyers can obtain them without needing to show a government ID. Increased access to these medications could result in unsafe use; there's definitely a safety tradeoff in deregulating them. Personally, I think the tradeoff is justified. Taking a drug like this outside of a medical context isn't as safe as talking to a medical professional and getting an ultrasound, but still a hell of a lot safer than what people were doing before Roe v. Wade. 

3. Study current black market/gray market shipping strategies.

There's already a thriving online market for illicit substances - check out this TED talk for details.

I expect there to be a similar black market in online-shipped mifepristone/misoprostol formed almost immediately after right-leaning states put in place their abortion bans. Unfortunately, these black markets have all the drawbacks of an illegal drug market - including the risk of fentanyl or other unknown additives.

If coastal states make these drugs OTC, I expect a much larger/safer "gray market" of reshippers out of home addresses sending these drugs across state lines - a logistical nightmare for any law enforcement agency to trace, let alone prosecute. In the best case scenario this gray market would be paired with remote medical consultation services and/or legal protections for reshippers.

4. Start claiming domain names and social media accounts 

The current battle for reproductive health has likely been lost in the courtroom for at least the next decade. The next battle will happen on Google, SnapChat, TikTok and Instagram (or wherever teenagers spend time these days, I assume any site I know about is no longer cool). It's hard to say exactly how restrictive conservative states will try to be, I wouldn't be surprised if Planned Parenthood's website/social media gets blocked in a lot of places. Rich/educated/privileged people who can afford to travel to a coastal state won't be unduly affected; activists need to think through the messaging that reaches everyone else even if the major accounts have been silenced. We've already seen a strategy of deliberately confusing phrases like "Crisis Pregnancy Centers", I expect the social media branding to be just as difficult.

5. Consider subsidizing contraception/pregnancy test access

The pills I mentioned only work before 11 weeks into a pregnancy; with that kind of ticking clock, I think activists should pursue a strategy of "detect pregnancies as early as possible". Even a highly watered-down version of Planned Parenthood (under a different name if necessary) that only offers pregnancy testing and education is still better than nothing.

In short, I think post-Roe activism is going to look less like the Underground Railroad and more like SilkRoad. I hope I'm proven wrong, the Supreme Court backs down from their decision and this blog post looks archaic and paranoid a few years from now. If I'm right though, activists need to start work on this as soon as possible - especially the OTC legislation in coastal states.