Programs
Policy Advocacy
Since our founding in 1993, Access has helped more than 20,000 women find reproductive health information and services without isolation or delay. This direct work with women gives us a deep understanding of the barriers to reproductive health care that exist in California, and a unique ability to identify and advocate for policies that would reduce disparities and improve access to care for all women.
Our success in helping women overcome geographic, economic and social barriers to care, along with the wealth of information and stories provided by our hotline call data, also makes Access a vital partner in many advocacy campaigns and coalitions. We are active members of the California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom, the National Network of Abortion Funds, and the National Abortion Federation. Within traditional reproductive rights coalitions, Access brings a critical 'real life' perspective to the table, both because of our daily work with underserved women, and because we are a grassroots organization with significant leadership and representation by young women and women of color.
Our current advocacy campaigns are focused on reducing bureaucratic barriers to reproductive health care for low-income women, providing expert testimony on the need for additional abortion providers in rural areas, and working with state administrators to address the lack of access to second-trimester abortion for women with Medi-Cal. In the past, Access has been involved in efforts to increase abortion training for medical students, improve access to hospital-based abortion services, raise awareness of emergency contraception in the Spanish-speaking community, and defeat mandatory parental notification for abortion, among other issues.