Latest news with #HeyJane
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ohio anti-abortion rights lobby files complaint against company for telehealth abortion services
(Getty Images) An Ohio anti-abortion rights lobby reported a reproductive care website to the state's Department of Health, in an attempt to address what the lobbying group called 'harmful circumvention of Ohio's laws.' Those laws have been unenforceable by court order since last year. The complaint was filed by Ohio Right to Life's director of external and legislative affairs, Emma Martinez, who asked that the state look into the website Hey Jane for potential violations of Ohio Revised Code. The law that the website was accused of violating requires physicians to be 'physically present at the location where the initial dose of the (medication abortion) drug or regimen of drugs is consumed at the time the initial dose is consumed,' according to the Ohio Revised Code language. Hey Jane expanded its services to Ohio in February, and has been working in reproductive and sexual health spaces, providing mifepristone, the FDA-approved abortion medication, since it was approved for mail-order distribution in 2021. Its website touts the ability to conduct virtual care through chat, phone, or video appointments, with some services covered by insurance. Along with medication abortion services, the website also provides help accessing birth control, emergency contraception, and treatment for urinary tract infections, yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and herpes. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The company says patients can access its services if they are at least 18 years old, medically eligible for the services and are currently in the states of Ohio, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, or Washington. Residency in those states is not required, according to Hey Jane. 'It is our opinion that works to deliver pills without any type of physical exam by a physician,' Ohio Right to Life's Martinez wrote in a letter addressed to Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, head of the Ohio Department of Health. 'In so doing, this website provides dangerous pharmaceuticals without the legally required physician oversight.' But a Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas ruling in September 2024 left state laws hindering mail-order abortion medication unenforceable. Judge Alison Hathaway temporarily blocked a law that limited the prescription, method, and time during pregnancy in which mifepristone could be distributed. The court decision was noted in the Ohio Department of Health's response to the complaint, in which Tyler Herrmann, general counsel for the health department, said the agency 'appreciates the effort of Ohio Right to Life in bringing these matters to our attention.' However, the department stated the law mentioned is a 'criminal statute under which ODH is provided no enforcement authority.' 'This matter would be more appropriately directed to the State Medical Board of Ohio and the Ohio Attorney General's Office,' Herrmann wrote, adding that the health department had shared the complaint with those offices. Among the State Medical Board of Ohio's members is Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life. Gonidakis was originally appointed to the position in 2012 by then-Gov. John Kasich, an appointment that was renewed by Gov. Mike DeWine in 2022. Gonidakis' current term on the board lasts until 2027. The Ohio Right to Life complaint also questions the information the website provides, and says there is 'no evidence that Hey Jane complies with Ohio's long-standing law of reporting the abortions they are facilitating.' Herrmann said the department 'has been in communication with the company to remind them of this obligation,' and plans to 'closely monitor the issue going forward.' Hey Jane's co-founder and CEO, Kiki Freedman, said the complaint was 'without merit,' but expressed appreciation to Ohio Right to Life for drawing attention to the company's expansion into Ohio, noting the small number of in-person clinics in the state, which currently stands at 11, 'amid increased demand for safe abortion care.' Despite the appreciation, 'we are disturbed and disappointed by their intentional effort to misinform and mislead Ohioans about the legality of Hey Jane's care in Ohio,' Freedman told the Capital Journal in a statement. 'It is deeply important to Hey Jane that Ohioans have access to accurate, factual information that allows them to make informed decisions about accessing high-quality and safe abortion care,' Freedman said. While the court order has temporarily allowed telehealth abortion care, Democratic legislators are trying to codify the care, hoping to add a layer of protection on top of those enshrined in the 2023 state constitutional amendment which includes abortion rights among those established in the state's founding document. State Rep. Anita Somani, D-Dublin, re-introduced a bill recently to codify reproductive rights under House Bill 128. In the bill, 'reproductive health care and related services may be provided as telehealth services.' The bill also looks to repeal laws currently in Ohio Revised Code that prohibit or regulate abortion care in a way that bill sponsors feel goes against the constitutional amendment. Regulations other than the telehealth law include a 24-hour waiting period required before an abortion procedure, a minimum of two physician appointments before the procedure can occur and regulations on hospital transfer agreements for physicians who also provide care at reproductive care clinics. The bill was introduced at the end of February and referred to the House Health Committee, where it has yet to receive a hearing. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Virtual abortion provider expands to Ohio
Feb. 23—LIMA — Virtual abortion provider Hey Jane has expanded into Ohio. The New York-based telehealth clinic announced on Tuesday it will begin offering virtual access to medication abortion, contraception and other sexual health services in Ohio through its website. "Ohioans deserve access to high-quality, evidence-based abortion care — without unnecessary delays or financial burdens," Alyssa Wagner, a nurse practitioner and medical director for Hey Jane, said in a news release. "By accepting insurance and providing compassionate telemedicine services, we're breaking down barriers and ensuring more people get the care they need, when they need it," Wagner said. Ohio a 'crucial hub for abortion access' Hey Jane co-founder and CEO Kiki Freedman said she started the site after witnessing clinic closures in the Midwest. The company's expansion comes as Ohio is expected to become "a crucial hub for abortion access in the Midwest," Freedman said in a news release. Nearly 3,000 women traveled to Ohio for an abortion in 2023, accounting for 13% of all abortions induced in Ohio that year, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Only 7% of women who obtained abortions in Ohio the previous year traveled from out of state, ODH data show. Abortion is banned in all or most circumstances in neighboring Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia, but the procedure remains legal through 22 weeks of pregnancy in Ohio following the passage of a ballot measure to amend the state's constitution in 2023. Abortion clinics reported a surge in patients with 22,000 abortions induced that year, up from 18,500 abortions in 2022, the same year Ohio's six-week abortion ban briefly took effect following the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, which returned abortion regulation to the states. "As we continue expanding, our mission — to provide virtual reproductive and sexual health care, including abortion care, to as many individuals as possible — remains steadfast, and the launch into Ohio marks a pivotal moment in achieving that goal," Freedman said. How it works Hey Jane advertises "safe, discreet medication abortion treatment" for women who don't want to travel or wait for an appointment with an in-person clinic, available in Ohio and 20 other states where abortion remains legal. It starts with an online intake form, which includes questions about the woman's medical history and pregnancy to determine if she is eligible. Women then consult with a licensed provider by text message, chat, video or phone call, according to the Hey Jane website. The company says it works with an in-house clinical team of board-certified physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses and patient advocates with in-clinic abortion experience — many of whom, the site boasts, have had abortions themselves — who are available by phone, video call or chat for support "every step of the way," according to the website. The site will send medication to an eligible patient's home address or a P.O. box in any of the 21 states where Hey Jane operates. An unmarked envelope containing abortion medications mifepristone and misoprostol, as well as pain and anti-nausea medications, should arrive within one to five days after a prescription is sent to the pharmacy, according to the site. Patients must be at least 18 years old and no more than 10 weeks pregnant, according to the website. Women who are further along in their pregnancy may seek a surgical abortion in Ohio until they are 22 weeks pregnant, with later abortions available in cases where continuing the pregnancy would jeopardize the woman's life or health. The site provides access to emergency contraception, birth control and treatment for urinary tract infections, bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections and herpes too, and aims to make abortion medication more affordable. The average medication abortion in Ohio costs $650, while a surgical abortion can cost anywhere from $650 to $1,110 depending on the gestational age of the fetus, according to the Hey Jane website. But a medication abortion through Hey Jane can cost as little as $0 with insurance, the website says. The site offers income-based prices for patients paying out of pocket and financial assistance from abortion funds. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Opinion - Why is the anti-abortion movement scared of telemedicine?
You need medical care, but the earliest available appointment isn't for weeks. Even if you could wait, you'd still have to take time off work, find childcare and somehow get to a clinic that's an hour away. America has some of the best medical expertise in the world, but actually accessing that care is like trying to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded. The most radical change the pandemic brought to the U.S. health care system was the near-universal embrace of telemedicine to deliver virtual care. Telemedicine eases the strain on the system by using technology to enable a doctor's visit without the commute. This positive effect is especially apparent in reproductive health and the expansion of abortion access. And yet abortion care via telemedicine is under attack as the administration responsible for the fall of Roe v. Wade returns to power and as cases are litigated in conservative states across the country seeking to ban medication abortion altogether. Anti-abortion extremists are threatened by telemedicine because it allows you, the patient, to get the care you need. Medication abortion, which involves taking two FDA-approved pills (mifepristone and misoprostol) to end an early pregnancy, now accounts for 63 percent of abortions in the U.S. But despite its safety and efficacy, conservative lawmakers are escalating efforts to restrict access to these medications. Today one in five abortion-seekers choose to use telemedicine to receive care. As the CEO of Hey Jane, a virtual abortion clinic that's helped over 75,000 patients access care, I can tell you firsthand: telemedicine isn't just a pandemic-era stopgap. It is the key to enabling access in a broken health care system. This is why we must protect it from the latest attacks by anti-abortion extremists. It's crucial we protect telemedicine as a way to access prescription medicine, including medication abortion. Telehealth is not just more convenient — it's transforming how health care works at a fundamental level. Since launching, my company has seen an overwhelming demand for medication abortion via telemedicine, and what we've learned has implications for the entire health care system. That whole 'nothing beats in-person' argument? Our data shows that 98 percent of patients actually prefer asynchronous communications, meaning they want to manage their health care on their own time, through messages and updates, rather than scheduling their lives around getting to a doctor's office. Privacy is another key factor, with nearly half of our patients indicating privacy was what was most important to them during treatment. They want care that is discreet, fast and built around their lives. For many patients, accessing medication abortion on their own terms is life-changing — especially in states where in-person clinics are few and far between. Take Virginia, where 93 percent of counties don't have in-person abortion clinics, and those that do are inundated with patients from surrounding states, which have some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. Even in states where abortion is legal and available, it may not actually be accessible. Virtual abortion clinics aren't just an alternative. They are often the only realistic option for patients who can't take a day off work or drive hundreds of miles to the nearest clinic. Telemedicine is democratizing health care in ways we've never seen before. With lower overhead costs, virtual clinics can offer more affordable care while removing the often prohibitive costs of transportation, child care and lost wages for the patient. Skeptics said Americans wouldn't trust telemedicine for important health-care decisions, that the technology wasn't ready, that patients would always prefer in-person care. They were wrong on all counts. Now we must fight against conservative extremists who are trying to cherry-pick what is accessible via telemedicine as a way to police the bodies of pregnant women. The future of the industry is about using technology to make health care work for everyone. The fight over telemedicine is, at its core, a fight over access to medication abortion. Conservative extremists know that if they can cut off access to these pills, they can effectively eliminate the abortion method of choice for the majority of Americans — in every state. We cannot let that happen. The tools are here. The technology works. The patients want it. Elected officials must step up and protect access to this essential health care. Kiki Freedman is the cofounder and CEO of Hey Jane. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
18-02-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Why is the anti-abortion movement scared of telemedicine?
You need medical care, but the earliest available appointment isn't for weeks. Even if you could wait, you'd still have to take time off work, find childcare and somehow get to a clinic that's an hour away. America has some of the best medical expertise in the world, but actually accessing that care is like trying to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded. The most radical change the pandemic brought to the U.S. health care system was the near-universal embrace of telemedicine to deliver virtual care. Telemedicine eases the strain on the system by using technology to enable a doctor's visit without the commute. This positive effect is especially apparent in reproductive health and the expansion of abortion access. And yet abortion care via telemedicine is under attack as the administration responsible for the fall of Roe v. Wade returns to power and as cases are litigated in conservative states across the country seeking to ban medication abortion altogether. Anti-abortion extremists are threatened by telemedicine because it allows you, the patient, to get the care you need. Medication abortion, which involves taking two FDA-approved pills (mifepristone and misoprostol) to end an early pregnancy, now accounts for 63 percent of abortions in the U.S. But despite its safety and efficacy, conservative lawmakers are escalating efforts to restrict access to these medications. Today one in five abortion-seekers choose to use telemedicine to receive care. As the CEO of Hey Jane, a virtual abortion clinic that's helped over 75,000 patients access care, I can tell you firsthand: telemedicine isn't just a pandemic-era stopgap. It is the key to enabling access in a broken health care system. This is why we must protect it from the latest attacks by anti-abortion extremists. It's crucial we protect telemedicine as a way to access prescription medicine, including medication abortion. Telehealth is not just more convenient — it's transforming how health care works at a fundamental level. Since launching, my company has seen an overwhelming demand for medication abortion via telemedicine, and what we've learned has implications for the entire health care system. That whole 'nothing beats in-person' argument? Our data shows that 98 percent of patients actually prefer asynchronous communications, meaning they want to manage their health care on their own time, through messages and updates, rather than scheduling their lives around getting to a doctor's office. Privacy is another key factor, with nearly half of our patients indicating privacy was what was most important to them during treatment. They want care that is discreet, fast and built around their lives. For many patients, accessing medication abortion on their own terms is life-changing — especially in states where in-person clinics are few and far between. Take Virginia, where 93 percent of counties don't have in-person abortion clinics, and those that do are inundated with patients from surrounding states, which have some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. Even in states where abortion is legal and available, it may not actually be accessible. Virtual abortion clinics aren't just an alternative. They are often the only realistic option for patients who can't take a day off work or drive hundreds of miles to the nearest clinic. Telemedicine is democratizing health care in ways we've never seen before. With lower overhead costs, virtual clinics can offer more affordable care while removing the often prohibitive costs of transportation, child care and lost wages for the patient. Skeptics said Americans wouldn't trust telemedicine for important health-care decisions, that the technology wasn't ready, that patients would always prefer in-person care. They were wrong on all counts. Now we must fight against conservative extremists who are trying to cherry-pick what is accessible via telemedicine as a way to police the bodies of pregnant women. The future of the industry is about using technology to make health care work for everyone. The fight over telemedicine is, at its core, a fight over access to medication abortion. Conservative extremists know that if they can cut off access to these pills, they can effectively eliminate the abortion method of choice for the majority of Americans — in every state. We cannot let that happen. The tools are here. The technology works. The patients want it. Elected officials must step up and protect access to this essential health care.
The Guardian
29-01-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Groups helping Americans find abortion pills report Instagram ‘shadow-banning'
Over the last week, the accounts of some major organizations that help Americans find abortion pills had their Instagram posts censored, were removed or became difficult to find through searching – a practice known as 'shadow-banning'. Censorship of abortion-related content on social media is a longstanding issue. In the days and weeks after the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade in June 2022, several abortion rights groups had their Instagram and TikTok posts removed or accounts suspended, while Instagram and Facebook deleted the posts of users who mentioned abortion pills. But the recent erasure and submerging of abortion-related content, so soon after Donald Trump's return to power, has caused fear among some abortion rights supporters that a bigger crackdown could be on the horizon – and concerns that Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg's promise to protect 'free expression' may not apply to all speech. 'There's been this narrative of first amendment rights and free speech and we hope that that applies to all forms of speech,' said Rebecca Davis, head of marketing at Hey Jane, a telehealth clinic that provides abortion pills, emergency contraception and birth control. Since last week, an Instagram search for the words 'hey jane' will not surface the organization's account. Instead, users can only find it if they type in the word 'hey jane health' – the account's full name. This, Davis said, constitutes a shadow ban. 'For someone who's not following us but is seeking out care, there's really no way for them to be able to know that the only way to find us is to type 'hey jane health',' Davis said. 'It really does limit people's ability to find accurate information when they're seeking out this very timely, essential healthcare.' On Friday, Instagram removed a Hey Jane post entitled '5 Abortion Facts You Need to Know in 2025', alleging: 'The post may buy, sell, or exchange drugs that require a prescription from a doctor or pharmacist,' in violation of the platform's community guidelines. However, Hey Jane has been verified by LegitScript, which certifies online pharmacies. Meta allows LegitScript-certified entities to run prescription drug ads. The New York Times, which reported on the changes to abortion-related content and accounts on Friday morning, said that two other organizations that help women access abortion pills, Just the Pill and Women Help Women, had their accounts restored. But, at least by Friday evening, the Women Help Women account was unavailable and was not restored until late on Monday night, according to a screenshot viewed by the Guardian. Jessica Valenti, author of a popular newsletter that tracks developments in abortion rights and restrictions, flagged last week that multiple posts from the organization Aid Access, which mails abortion pills, were blurred out. As of Tuesday, at least two pinned posts on the account remained partially obscured; while the captions were available, the images were blurred or removed entirely. In a post last week, the group said that its account had recently been suspended for more than a week. A spokesperson for Meta did not immediately respond to a list of questions from the Guardian, but told the Times that some of the incidents were the result of 'over-enforcement'. 'Throughout the years, the process of getting the accounts back or just communicating with big tech has been harder,' said Martha Dimitratou, digital strategist for the group Plan C, which provides information about abortion pills. Medical experts widely agree that, in the first trimester of pregnancy, it is safe to 'self-manage' your own abortion using pills. Plan C's Instagram account, Dimitratou estimated, has been taken down 'six, seven times at least'. 'There's not at all institutional memory or understanding that this is something that keeps happening to this account,' she said. 'Every time we have a new instance of censorship, we have to prove that we are a non-profit. We have to go again from square one.' Abortion-related content is often taken down when the procedure is in the headlines, said Jane Eklund, lead researcher with Repro Uncensored, a coalition that works to protect access to information about abortion. The organizations that post the content are frequently told they are violating platforms' regulations around selling or providing goods online – even when their accounts have nothing to do with selling or providing abortion pills, according to Eklund, who worked on a 2024 Amnesty International report about the removal of online info about abortion. 'So many organizations are left in the dark. They would do what they need to do to avoid having their content taken down if they actually knew what that is,' Eklund continued. 'They just don't really have that transparency from the platform.'
