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When it comes to reproductive health care, we tend to focus on two sets of people: the physicians and the patients. But abortion health care, especially, involves folks who move under the radar and don’t get the recognition they deserve. Even beyond recognition in terms of workers' rights, many folks don’t know what resources are available to them when it comes to seeking an abortion.
One example? Doulas. Doulas—a broad category generally understood as a person providing specific care and support to a patient—serve an under-discussed yet enormously important and beneficial role when it comes to abortion, especially in light of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Doulas offer care before, after, and during abortions, which can look like many things—organizing safe transportation for a patient to get to their appointments, for example, or providing emotional support during recovery.
Doulas don’t serve only folks who have abortions, either. Doulas can serve folks who are dying, giving birth, trans folks, those trying to become pregnant, and more. And as writer and abortion doula Hannah Matthews discusses with Daily Kos, doulas can truly be a lifesaving form of community care.
Matthews, a queer, chronically ill, and disabled mom whose debut book You Or Someone You Love is forthcoming with Atria Books in May 2023, sat down with Daily Kos for an email interview to break down what exactly an abortion doula does and why the role is so important, especially in a world where conservatives are fighting hard to deny reproductive health care to all folks who are or can become, pregnant.
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