Underground Network in Boston Provides Abortion Pills to Restricted States

Greater Boston hosts an underground network providing abortion pill care packages, amid growing college activism.

October 31, 2024

Greater Boston, known for its many colleges, has an underground network providing women with access to abortion pills.

Weekly, Boston-area college and medical students gather to assemble abortion pill “care packages” for women in states with stringent abortion laws.

Dubbed “pill-packing parties” by their organizers, this work carries risks, as women in places like Texas and Mississippi face prosecution for abortions.

College students have historically been active in the abortion debate, but today’s activism differs significantly from the 1960s. In the current election season, College Uncovered explores these “pill-packing parties” in Greater Boston and shares insights from college students aiding women in accessing abortion medication nationwide.

The episode also examines the anti-abortion movement’s resurgence post-Dobbs ruling, featuring commentary from a “pro-life generation” leader.

GBH’s Andrea Asuaje hosts this week’s episode of Under the Radar with Callie Crossley, diving into how medication abortion and the internet have transformed college activism around reproductive rights.

Listen to the whole series

TRANSCRIPT

[Kirk] Hey, everyone, It’s Kirk Carapezza at GBH News.

[Jon] And I’m Jon Marcus from The Hechinger Report.

Thanks for joining College Uncovered. This season, we delve into college politics. This week, we’re focusing on abortion.

[Kirk] For this show, my colleague Andrea Asuaje takes the lead. Welcome to College Uncovered, Andrea.

[Andrea] Hey, Kirk. Hey, Jon. Thanks for having me.

[Jon] Andrea, take it away.

[Ambient sound] Thank you all for coming. Let’s get started.

[Andrea] In an undisclosed Massachusetts location, a diverse group of women gathers around a large table. For a year, they’ve assembled packages for unknown recipients.

[Woman’s voice] After six months, we’ve perfected our efficient packing system.

[Andrea] This is an abortion pill-packing party.

Due to safety concerns, the location remains confidential. Over two hours, they prepare 300 packages of mifepristone and misoprostol, abortion-inducing drugs.

The pills are shipped to those who request them via a clinician-staffed website, reaching patients from rural Mississippi to urban Houston, Tennessee, Kentucky, or Indiana, for as low as $5.

This risky endeavor, criticized as a crime across state lines, doesn’t deter volunteers like Massachusetts student Andy, originally from Texas.

[Andy] Despite my activities, I prioritize this impactful, essential work. I’m passionate about reproductive health, helping those without access or income for abortion medication.

[Andrea] This is College Uncovered from GBH News and The Hechinger Report, a podcast revealing the inner workings of colleges.

I’m Andrea Asuaje with GBH News. Cohosts Kirk Carapezza and Jon Marcus will return after the election with a special episode.

With the election season unfolding, college campuses are abuzz with political discourse. Recent court rulings, including the Supreme Court’s, have made abortion a pivotal issue for students.

Women in their 20s account for over half of abortions, per the CDC. The Dobbs decision in 2022 overturned Roe, creating a reproductive rights upheaval in the U.S. With the presidential election approaching, abortion is a key issue for college-age voters and candidates alike.

Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the crisis:

[Kamala Harris] This is a healthcare crisis. Donald Trump, the architect of this crisis, brags about overturning Roe vs. Wade, saying, ‘I did it and I’m proud.’ He’s proud women are dying and losing rights.

[Andrea] In contrast, Donald Trump comments on Kamala Harris and Tim Walz:

[Donald Trump] Her VP pick supports abortion in the ninth month and execution after birth. That’s not okay with me.

[Andrea] Massachusetts, the first of eight states with laws shielding abortion providers, has become a hub for a network aiding access to abortion care nationwide.

[Angel Foster] I’m Angel Foster, cofounder of the Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project, or the MAP. I’m also a professor at the University of Ottawa.

[Andrea] Foster, a Harvard Medical School graduate, has studied medication abortion globally. She co-founded the MAP to aid those in restrictive areas.

[Angel Foster] Even before Dobbs, accessing abortion care was challenging in the South and Midwest. After Dobbs, 14 states banned abortion under most circumstances. Now, a third of reproductive-age women live in areas with strict laws.

[Andrea] Word of mouth and social media, like Reddit, spread the MAP’s availability. Online screenings determine eligibility without video calls. Approval takes just hours.

[Angel Foster] Once payment is made, we ship the pills from our office.

[Andrea] MAP’s homespun operation fills pill orders, likened to the “Etsy of abortion” by Angel. The FDA confirms mifepristone’s safety, with a lower death rate than common medications.

The MAP, founded in October 2023, aids hundreds monthly, especially low-income individuals in restrictive states. It’s a pay-what-you-can model, with some paying as little as $5, despite costs reaching $250.

[Angel Foster] In our first year, a third paid $25 or less. I imagine someone counting pennies at their table.

[Andrea] Donations and volunteers allow the MAP to offer care at low rates. Project manager Maeve, a local college student, handles shipping tasks.

[Maeve] I handle shipping labels and package deliveries. It’s repetitive but crucial work.

[Maeve] Each package relieves stress for someone, changing their life.

[Andrea] While Maeve values her role, she acknowledges the risk. Only a few know of her involvement due to potential repercussions.

[Maeve] I risk myself working for the MAP, even legally, since some oppose it.

[Andrea] Despite Massachusetts’ shield-laws, the MAP’s legal strategy hasn’t faced court testing. The state’s history of anti-abortion violence adds to volunteers’ caution.

[Andy] Returning to Texas highlights this work’s necessity. Abortion is inaccessible there, and we help many from my home state.

[Andrea] Andy’s shock at sending packages to her neighborhood underscores the issue’s gravity.

[Andy] I realized our impact reaches even my hometown, helping countless women.

[Andrea] Texas’ harsh treatment of those involved in abortions, like a woman charged with murder for taking abortion medication, emphasizes the risks. The MAP’s volunteers may never meet those they assist, but they feel a deep connection, says Avery, a Massachusetts student.

[Avery] After a break, I saw thank-you cards from patients. It was overwhelming.

[Andrea] Avery, from Pennsylvania, notes Massachusetts’ supportive environment for abortion rights contrasts with broader national views.

[Avery] Living here highlights how our beliefs differ from the rest of the country.

[Andrea] Managing schoolwork and MAP duties, Avery and others keep the organization functioning discreetly.

[Avery] I remind myself of the real impact we have, grateful for the privilege to help.

[Andrea] Massachusetts is a safe haven for abortion services, with college students leading the effort.

However, the Dobbs decision has fueled anti-abortion activism on campuses.

[Kristan Hawkins] I’m Sam Delmar from Harvard Law Students for Life, introducing Kristan Hawkins.

[Andrea] Kristan Hawkins leads Students for Life of America, the largest anti-abortion youth group, with 1,500 campus chapters. Harvard is one of her many tour stops.

[Kristan Hawkins] I prepared for Harvard Law, being a West Virginia bumpkin. I wanted law school until I met lawyers.

[Andrea] Hawkins, a self-proclaimed Christian and anti-abortion advocate, shares her impactful abortion story with the audience.

[Kristan Hawkins] Abortion didn’t solve my problem. It kept me in an abusive relationship, harmed my body, and made me infertile.

[Andrea] Hawkins emphasizes natural rights, aligning with anti-abortion beliefs.

[Kristan Hawkins] Every abortion ends a unique human life. We believe all humans deserve basic natural rights, making abortion wrong.

[Andrea] Hawkins encourages dialogue with abortion rights supporters, regularly sharing debates on her TikTok with 134,000 followers. Despite her Boston visit, she didn’t respond to interview requests.

Surveys show most college-educated women support abortion rights. Pew Research finds about 75% approval.

Hawkins’ Harvard event saw 70 attendees without protests, only polite disagreement.

Polls reveal students increasingly avoid colleges in states with restrictive reproductive laws.

[Harper Brannock] In the South, I’ve witnessed anti-abortion rhetoric and violence. It’s why I chose Massachusetts for college.

[Andrea] Harper Brannock, 21, from Alabama, attends Boston University, valuing its abortion access. Alabama bans abortions unless the mother’s life is at risk.

[Harper Brannock] It’s crucial to have safe healthcare access, even after consensual encounters.

[Andrea] We asked students at Boston College, a Jesuit school, about abortion. The health center doesn’t distribute birth control or refer for abortions.

Here’s what students said:

[Student 1] I avoided southern schools due to safety concerns and my choice’s value.

[Student 2] Seeing a pro-life club at the club fair was shocking. I wasn’t interested.

[Andrea] Students spoke anonymously for privacy. A Boston College sophomore plans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris on Nov. 5.

[Student 3] As a young woman, I won’t support someone who doesn’t ensure my rights.

[Andrea] The abortion movement, active for nearly two centuries, dates back to 1800s contraceptive legislation and gained momentum in the 1960s with the pill’s FDA approval.

Today’s pill-packing parties and the MAP resemble the Jane Collective, an underground 1960s-70s Chicago group aiding pre-Roe abortions. The Janes, mostly college students, arranged over 11,000 abortions by Roe’s 1973 passage.

Modern abortion activism among college students is distinct. Unlike the 1980s, no pill-packing parties existed. Mifepristone and misoprostol weren’t U.S.-approved until 2000. Medication abortion changed everything.

The internet now facilitates organizing and accessing abortion care, predominantly online and via social media.

[Loretta Ross] Young activists aren’t joining legacy feminist groups but finding their own ways to act.

[Andrea] Loretta J. Ross, a Smith College professor, formerly organized for NOW and women’s marches, drawing unprecedented crowds.

[Loretta Ross] The 2017 Women’s March surpassed all previous numbers, spurring abortion fund growth.

[Andrea] Ross co-founded SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective in Atlanta.

[Loretta Ross] Black women’s fight for bodily autonomy predates Seneca Falls, emphasizing its importance.

[Andrea] Ross, a victim of sexual assault, studied religion’s role in women’s abortion views.

[Loretta Ross] Black churches avoid discussing reproduction and sex, creating shame around Black women’s sexuality. Yet they account for a third of abortions.

[Andrea] Ross notes first ladies, including Melania Trump, support women’s bodily autonomy. She criticizes the Republican Party for politicizing abortion.

[Loretta Ross] It’s a multi-front battle in courts, legislatures, streets, and service provision.

[Ambient sound]

[Andrea] At tonight’s pill-packing party, attendees rotate tasks: folding boxes, packing pills, and inserting instructions. Avery double-checks boxes.

Medical student Rasa places misoprostol bottles in each box, seeing it as vital OB-GYN training.

[Rasa] It’s crucial work as a med student, helping those I can’t physically reach.

[Andrea] Retired physician Cheryl Hamlin, who performed abortions in the South, starts by folding boxes.

[Cheryl Hamlin] Younger people, especially in Massachusetts, may not grasp the severity elsewhere. It’s my duty to inform and support.

[Andrea] The group meets weekly to eat, drink, and work together. At the line’s end, a handwritten note is added to each package. Nurse practitioner Erin loves this task.

[Erin] I write notes wishing recipients the best, supporting them through this difficult time.

[Andrea] The group sent its 5,000th package this month.

This is College Uncovered, from GBH News and The Hechinger Report. I’m Andrea Asuaje.