“Young people need accessible and affordable abortion services,” said Diana Thu-Thao Rhodes, VP of Policy at Advocates for Youth. “Making medication abortion on campus a reality is one of many ways to do just that.”

BOSTON, MA – Massachusetts youth celebrated the news that the Massachusetts legislature has reached an agreement to provide medication abortion on Massachusetts college campuses. The victory for abortion access proponents followed months of organizing and pressure campaigns from young people and reproductive rights advocates in the state. 

Advocates for Youth supported young organizers based in Massachusetts to lead youth organizing efforts in the state and successfully mobilized hundreds of calls and emails to legislators about the policy.

“This is a gamechanger for young people like me,” said Sarah Fitzgibbons, one of the youth organizers Advocates for Youth supported as co-coordinator for abortion access in Massachusetts. “University health centers already provide access to birth control and forms of contraception on campus, to over 150,000 students in the commonwealth. It’s both right and sensible for these health centers to also offer medication abortion, and it eliminates the need for students, often located in abortion deserts, to travel far distances to access care.” Fitzgibbons is a graduate of Smith College in Northampton.

“This is a huge win for young people’s reproductive health in Massachusetts,” said Lexi Dotson-Dufault, also co-coordinator for abortion access in Massachusetts at Advocates for Youth. “Especially as many states lose access to abortion and Northeast clinics begin to see a high influx of out-of-state patients, Massachusetts must continue alleviating barriers to abortion care to ensure its people can truly access reproductive freedom.” Dotson-Dufault graduated from UMass Amherst.

“We urge the Governor to sign this into law, as it will have an immense impact for thousands of students seeking to access abortion care in Massachusetts,” said Diana Thu-Thao Rhodes, VP of Policy at Advocates for Youth. “Young people need accessible and affordable abortion services, and making medication abortion on campus a reality is one of many ways to do just that. We applaud the efforts of all the advocates, legislative champions, and especially youth activists who mobilized to make this a reality for students across the state.”

Advocates for Youth is now encouraging the Governor to sign the bill into law.

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Advocates for Youth is a 501(c)3 organization that champions efforts that help young people make informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates boldly advocates for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health, focusing its work on young people ages 14-25 in the U.S. and around the globe.