JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Less than 24 hours after the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion that would end Roe V. Wade, Action News Jax’s Courtney Cole spoke to two different organizations who are on the front lines of the issue.
Both have different approaches when it comes to supporting and assisting local women — but both believe it should not be a matter of politics.
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“Our biggest fear is, if this is overturned — what the states will do, what women will have to go through to access safe abortions,” said Kelly Flynn.
Flynn is the President and CEO of A Women’s Choice of Jacksonville, a clinic that offers abortion care.
“In my lifetime, I’ve never gone without not having an option like this before,” Flynn said.
As a woman who had an abortion, Flynn told Cole she wants to protect that option for other women.
“Which led me to do the work that I’m doing now, 23 years later,” said Flynn.
Right now in Florida, abortion is banned after 23 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. Starting July 1, 2022, abortion may be banned after 14 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy in Florida.
“Eighty percent of women who had an abortion say that if they had just one person there to be a support to them, who was there for them — they might’ve chosen life,” Jennifer Pace said.
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Pace, the development director of First Coast Women’s Services, said they have been serving the community since 1994.
“There’s not a typical client that we serve. Women face unplanned pregnancies for different reasons,” Pace said.
If there is a final decision made by the Supreme Court to end Roe v. Wade, access to abortions would ultimately depend on where you live.
“We want to be able to provide life-affirming options, counseling for women,” Pace told Action News Jax.
While this would be the most consequential abortion decision in many years, when it comes to women’s reproductive need — Pace said they will always be here to serve the women of the Jacksonville area.
“We want to be the support system for women and for families,” Pace said.
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