Women on Waves receives applications from the US for abortion ship

The foundation for abortion rights Women on Waves is receiving requests from the United States for the abortion ship to set sail, founder of the organization Rebecca Gomperts confirmed after reporting by EenVandaag. Since the federal right to abortion in the U.S. was scrapped, the number of requests for help from abortion rights organizations has increased, according to the abortion doctor.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned the nationwide right to abortion, meaning states can now make their own decisions. About half of the 50 states now enact laws to restrict or prohibit access to abortion.

On the Women on Waves abortion ship, pregnancies can be terminated outside the territorial waters of countries where abortion is illegal. According to Gomperts, the organization is not currently deploying the ship, but is examining "whether that makes sense, where and when."

However, Gomperts helps pregnant women with abortion pills through another organization she is affiliated with, Aid Access. Demand for prescriptions for those pills has increased from 600 emails per day to 4,000 emails per day since the Supreme Court ruling. "That says something about the panic that prevails," Gomperts said.

The doctor wants abortion pills to be freely available at drug stores in the U.S. This can also offer solace in conservative states. "The pills also work well against endometriosis and they can be used as contraception. The right to it has not been deleted."