Susan Yanow

A long-time reproductive rights activist, Susan Yanow works to expand access to abortion domestically and internationally through consulting projects. She is a cofounder of Women Help Women, an international organization that provides medication abortion services and EASE (Expanding Abortion Services in the South). Susan coordinates the Later Abortion Initiative at Ibis Reproductive Health and consults to other domestic and international organizations that work on access to abortion.  She serves on the Boards of the ACLU of Massachusetts, Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Social Workers for Reproductive Justice, and the Cambridge Commission on the Status of Women.

Losing the Right to Abortion Later in Pregnancy

While access to abortion is increasingly restricted in many states, options for women needing an abortion after 20 weeks have narrowed dramatically. The restrictions on later abortion are part of a broad attack on women’s fundamental right to abortion.

Abortion is Legal: So Why is Self-Abortion Care a Crime?

Last week, a 20-year-old woman in New York City was arrested on charges of “self-induced abortion” and faces first-degree misdemeanor charges.  Initial news reports indicate that she intentionally caused the miscarriage/abortion of her 24-week fetus.  The woman disposed of the fetus in what was probably the only way she could think of: wrapped in plastic bags and placed in the trash receptacle of her apartment building.