Dear friends,

I am a practicing OB/GYN in upstate New York, as well as a proud abortion provider. When I joined the NYAAF Board, I did so with the intent of making abortion safe and affordable for all New Yorkers, because I believe that abortion is essential health care.

In the wake of COVID-19, I still believe this. Although these are uncertain and, in many ways, unprecedented times, timely access to abortion care is critical and must be protected. No one’s reproductive decisions should be determined by their financial resources, or what the state deems “essential care.” Forcing someone to wait to get an abortion can dramatically increase the cost of the procedure, force them to travel across state lines, and in some cases, cut them off from care entirely due to state restrictions.

NYAAF will always be here to facilitate access to abortion, but the recent pandemic makes our presence even more critical. For people seeking abortion care, the impact of COVID-19 has made an already difficult situation harder. As businesses close and people lose their incomes, more people will need our help. To make matters worse, anti-abortion lawmakers in states like Texas, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Iowa are capitalizing on this public health crisis by introducing efforts to ban abortion entirely. We are here to support anyone who is unable to fully pay for an abortion – and that number of people will increase as restrictions continue.

Our goal is to never turn away a caller, but to accomplish that, we need your help. We know this is a stressful time, both mentally and financially, and we are deeply grateful for any contribution that you can give to connect our callers to abortion care. As a result of the pandemic, this year we had to cancel our biggest in-person fundraising event – but we’re still collecting donations online. Your gift will go directly to folks seeking access to care.

I will be practicing medicine to the fullest extent of my abilities in these troubling times – and that includes providing abortions. Just like the obstetric care I provide, abortion care must be timely, compassionate, and accessible for all. Please help me continue to provide that care by supporting NYAAF today.

In solidarity,

Corinne McLeod, MD
NYAAF Board of Directors, Upstate Manager