When Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, California declared itself an abortion haven, an abortion sanctuary. The governor invited women from around the country to come here for safe, accessible abortions. He even set aside taxpayer dollars to help pay for their travel expenses. But for many people who live here and need abortion care, the state is anything but a sanctuary.
Despite having some of the strongest abortion protections in the country, there are corners of California’s healthcare system where state laws can’t reach. One-on-one, in the exam room, what a doctor says – and doesn’t say – can affect the care patients receive.
KQED’s health correspondent April Dembosky brings us the story of one woman who struggled to get straight answers from three different doctors.