How to get an abortion in D.C.

The number of people traveling to the D.C.-area for abortions has spiked with every new state-level restriction since the fall of Roe v. Wade— from North Carolina’s 12-week ban last year to Florida’s 6-week ban in May. In 2024, the D.C. Abortion Fund reported an 18% increase in the number of callers seeking assistance from the previous year.

And while seven out of ten states that put abortion on the ballot this election enacted protections, Florida’s measure failed— meaning D.C. is still the closest option for many people who need an abortion across the southeastern United States.

In addition to its location, the District has become a hub for abortion care because of its progressive laws, including no legal limitations on gestational age, wait times, or requirements of parental notification. The D.C. region also contains three out of the country’s five clinics that provide care during all three trimesters, according to Director of Development at the DC Abortion Fund Alisha Dingus, making it a particularly vital location for people who need an abortion later in pregnancy.

“They're fleeing unfair, hostile, medically unnecessary bans in their states, and they're coming to us,” said Jade Hurley, a longtime organizer in D.C.’s reproductive justice movement and the former communications manager at DCAF. “I think that this migration is only going to increase.” 

Following the election of Donald Trump and Republicans gaining control of Congress, local providers fear clinics may become even more overstretched.

"There's a number of alarming ways that the Trump administration could really inhibit access to reproductive health and access to abortion in particular,” said Anna Bernstein, who leads work on domestic abortion access policy at the Guttmacher Institute. Bernstein says that D.C.’s lack of statehood and full ability to govern itself could impact abortion care in the years to come. Indeed, it already has: for 30 years, Congress has prevented D.C. from using its own locally raised tax dollars to fund abortion care for low-income people.

“With a Republican trifecta, they could move to interfere even more with D.C. home rule, potentially trying to ban abortion in D.C.," said Bernstein. 

It’s still unclear what steps the new administration will take, but advocates emphasize that people can protect themselves by focusing on what we do know: abortion remains a protected right for both D.C. residents and those traveling from across the country for abortion care. 

While patients should contact groups like The Center of Reproductive Rights and the Repro Legal Helpline for legal assistance or questions, we’ve gathered tips from reproductive rights advocates on how abortion-seekers living in and traveling to the D.C.-area can find authentic clinics, funding, logistical support, and more. 

Step 1: Schedule Your Appointment

You can find an authentic abortion clinic using websites like AbortionFinder.org or Ineedana.com, which have regularly updated lists of verified clinics. These sites help patients avoid anti-abortion clinics, also known as crisis pregnancy centers, which masquerade as clinics by being located nearby and offering free services. They exist, however, to persuade people to keep their pregnancies. 

These centers can traumatize abortion seekers by not having trained medical providers, and having staff who pray over patients and tell them they'll go to hell. These centers can be identified on the CPC tracking website. Other ways to spot them include the mention of  “Pregnancy Center” in their name and religious language like “your pregnancy is a gift from God.” 

Once patients find a reputable clinic, they should schedule an appointment. 

Step 2: Get Funding

Some clinics, particularly independent clinics that operate outside of hospitals and chain clinics like Planned Parenthood, don’t take insurance or only take specific plans. Meanwhile, many insurance providers only partially cover abortion, if at all. 

So, if you’re financially struggling or unable to pay, you should immediately discuss options with your insurance provider and clinic staff. 

You can also connect with abortion funds, which are mutual aid organizations that fundraise year-round to help pay for procedures. DCAF issues thousands of grants every year and, according to Dingus, supports 75 to 100 people getting an abortion every week. 

“I think one of the more challenging parts of this broken landscape is the financial piece— having to call multiple people, having to be screened for funding, having to prove that you deserve money, it's a really, really horrible thing, and DCAF, fortunately, breaks down all those barriers,” said Dingus.

Patients can locate abortion funds in their state or region on the National Network of Abortion Funds website.

Step 3: Find Logistical Support

Finding hotels, booking plane tickets, securing child care, and navigating other unexpected expenses can be difficult, especially on top of procedure costs, but resources are available. 

Clinic staff can recommend nearby hotels and transportation options. The clinic may also work with organizations like the Brigid Alliance or Midwest Access Coalition that can help with logistics, depending on a patient's region. For Brigid, patients need a referral from their clinic, and then they will contact the patient closer to the appointment.

 "There are people in the city who don't even know you, and they love you and want to support you through your abortion; take advantage of that," said Hurley.

Step 4: Preparing for Appointments and Safety Concerns 

Depending on how far along someone is in their pregnancy, appointments can take a few hours or days. Packing loose-fitting clothing, snacks, and activities like books or mobile games is helpful for staying comfortable and passing the time. 

For safety purposes, ask clinic staff beforehand about the likelihood of protestors, their safety policies, and if they have escorts to help patients get to their appointments. Escorts can help patients use alternative entrances and navigate protestors, who often try to intimidate or harass patients on their way to an appointment. The Washington Area Clinic Defense Task Force is one local group that works with clinics and trains escorts.

Step 5: Explore Emotional Resources

Abortion impacts everyone differently, and some people might benefit from emotional support as they navigate the process. All Options has a free talk line for abortion-seekers, Exhale has a talk line for people who need emotional support after abortion, and Aya is a resource app that guides people on their abortion journeys. Ask clinic staff if they have abortion doulas who support patients through the process or if they allow them into the clinic. 

DC Doulas for Choice Collective has volunteers who are trained to support patients. Erin Moore, a doula with Planned Parenthood Metro Washington, says the support doulas provide varies depending on the patient and the clinic, but can include explanations of each step of the process, breathing techniques, mental health resources, helping to ask questions, or sometimes just providing distracting conversation. 

Step 6: Prepare for the upcoming years 

A year after the fall of Roe, abortion funds saw a severe drop in donations. Funding further decreased recently when the National Abortion Federation and Planned Parenthood both cut grants for patients. While abortion funds stepped in to fill the gaps, they’re struggling to meet the need. 

“The big thing is obviously money,” said Dingus. “We still aren't able to support everyone who calls us. And clinics are feeling the burden of having to make discounts for folks because the resources are drying up.”

In addition to providing regular financial support to abortion funds, Dingus recommends getting involved with local efforts, including organizations that are a part of the hands-off DC coalition. She also recommends keeping a supply of pregnancy tests, emergency contraception, or abortion pills — but not stockpiling medications, as that can risk creating shortages. ECDC is a local effort to expand emergency contraceptive access.  

Moore recommends learning as much as possible about abortion care, whether you expect to need one or not, and helping to spread accurate information. “Generally, it’s really important for us to learn more about reproductive health, especially about abortions,” she said. “Misinformation is how they get what they want.”