A community-based exploration of people’s lived experiences seeking and obtaining medication abortion remotely in the Southeast
Abortion
Awarded 2025
Understanding people's experiences with remote provision of medication abortion
Paige Logan Prater, MPH
Ipas
$99,960

The proposed study will explore lived experiences of remote medication abortion (MA) to understand and address gaps in care for abortion seekers in the southeastern US. We will conduct qualitative in-depth interviews to understand how abortion seekers conceptualize and experience remote MA, as well as the systemic barriers they encounter, specifically centering the lived experiences of individuals often neglected in formal healthcare systems, specifically youth, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), and queer and trans individuals. We will use a community-driven approach, including collaborating with a Community Advisory Board (CAB) of local abortion advocates, supporters, and doulas to ensure research is reflective of and responsive to the lived realities of remote MA access while remaining adaptable to the shifting legal and social landscape of abortion care. Findings will inform education, advocacy, and care delivery by bolstering support for abortion seekers through training and tailored resources, enhancing education and destigmatization efforts for medical providers, policymakers, and the public, and supporting organizations and networks in improving programmatic efforts. Ultimately, this research aims to center the voices of marginalized communities, dismantle stigma, and contribute to systemic change that advances equitable access to medication abortion in the Southeast and beyond.