Judge protects abortion access in Montana

Forty-one of the 50 US states prohibit anyone who isn't a physician from performing abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute. For now, Montana isn't one of them.

Under a law temporarily blocked by a Montana district court judge in early April, only physicians and physician assistants would legally be allowed to provide abortion services. An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) and certified nurse midwife challenged the law, and District Court Judge Mike Menahan agreed with the challenge, citing a 2013 study published in the American Journal of Public Health that found complication rates for abortions remained comparably low regardless of whether they were performed by a nurse practitioner, a certified nurse midwife, a physician assistant, or a doctor.

The ruling allows the plaintiffs to continue their abortion training so they can provide care at a clinic in the city of Whitefish. However, Montana will still have a huge unmet need for expanded access to care, given that 55 percent of women in the state live in the 90 percent of counties that have no abortion clinic.

If you live in Montana — or any other area with little or no access to an abortion clinic —self-managed abortion with pills is another safe option. You can get accurate, up-to-date information about what that involves at AbortionPillInfo.com.