FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2026
Contact: Cheyenne Drews, Cheyenne@progressflorida.org
Florida marks two years under a near-total abortion ban
Doctors warn that patients are paying the price
TALLAHASSEE – Tomorrow, May 1st, marks two years since Florida’s near-total abortion ban went into effect, decimating access to abortion and reproductive health care for millions of people, and Floridians are saying enough is enough.
In every corner of Florida is a story of someone who made the personal decision to seek abortion care and was told it wasn’t their decision to make.
Tampa resident Caroline, whose abortion story made national headlines, knows how dangerous abortion bans are to families.
“Abortion rights save lives. I was diagnosed with terminal cancer while pregnant and had to choose between treatment or my baby. I couldn’t have both. I am here today because I chose my own life. I chose to fight for my daughter that was waiting for me at home. Now, I am fighting for her to have the same rights that I had,” Caroline reflected.
The Floridians for Reproductive Freedom coalition, with 85+ partner organizations, joins with the majority of Floridians in denouncing the unpopular and dangerous abortion ban. While no hearings were given in 2026 to the Reproductive Freedom Act which would have restored abortion access, advocates successfully held the line for a second legislative session in a row against all attempts from extremist politicians to further restrict reproductive healthcare.
Keisha Mulfort, Deputy Executive Director and Strategy Officer at the ACLU of Florida stated, “Two years ago, Florida’s government made a decision that wasn’t theirs to make, and millions of people have been living with the consequences ever since. Since May 1, 2024, this state has systematically stripped away the most fundamental freedoms people have – the freedom to decide whether to become a parent, when to become a parent, and who to become a parent with. And now, Florida has gone even further. A Florida court recently ordered a woman to undergo major surgery, a cesarean section, without her consent and against her will. The state decided that its interest in her pregnancy outweighed her right to govern her own body and make her own medical decisions. That is not governance; that is control. Black women, low-income Floridians, and people in rural communities with no nearby provider bear the sharpest edge of these policies. More than 4 million women of childbearing age live in Florida, and every single one of them is now subject to a government that believes its authority over their pregnancies supersedes their own. Two years of government overreach demand a reckoning at the ballot box. We urge every Floridian to vote like your body depends on it, because for millions of people in this state, it does. Florida’s government chose to take away these freedoms, and Floridians must exercise their power to take them back.”
Floridians have faced significant barriers accessing abortion care and emergency treatment for pregnancy complications, and in some cases, remained pregnant against their will, often at risk to their health and economic stability. Since the ban’s implementation, the Department of Health has failed to release the state’s maternal mortality rates, systematically suppressing data that demonstrates just how dangerous abortion bans are. Simultaneously, $29.5 million in taxpayer dollars is spent annually to fund unregulated pregnancy centers, which have no medical or safety standards and are designed to deceive, shame, and delay people seeking abortion care.
Robyn Schickler, Chief Medical Officer at Planned Parenthood of Florida explained, “After two years, Florida’s near-total abortion ban has cast a long, dark shadow over reproductive health care in our state, and while it’s abortion providers like Planned Parenthood that are being targeted, it’s patients who ultimately pay the price for these politically motivated attacks. OBGYNs are understandably leaving the state, limiting patient access to general obstetric and gynecologic treatment-including emergency care. Even those who remain are often transferring patients for fear of litigation, meaning patients are forced to leave the care of trusted providers because of a political agenda.
“Many people don’t even realize they’re pregnant until they’re out of options in Florida. Many who can afford to, have been forced to travel to other states just to access the care they need. There is no other routine health care procedure that forces patients to travel out of state. What’s in the best interests of patients, not politics, should be guiding these important decisions.”
Opposition to the abortion ban has remained consistent, with a growing and diverse coalition of advocates, families, healthcare providers, and people of faith rejecting political interference with these deeply personal, unique, and nuanced decisions.
“Two years after Florida’s near-total abortion ban took effect, we reflect with grief and resolve. At Catholics for Choice, we believe in the sacred dignity of every person, the importance of conscience, and compassion in complex moral decisions. This ban has harmed pregnant patients, restricted care, and placed politics over health and justice. It has deepened inequities and forced many to either travel for access or go without essential care. Our faith calls us to accompany, and because of that faith, we remain committed to advancing reproductive justice for all Floridians,” stated Nicole McCurdy, Organizing and Engagement Specialist-Policy and Campaigns at Catholics for Choice.
Clinician-provided abortions have decreased significantly since the passage of the six-week ban, but according to the Society of Family Planning, there has been an increased use of telehealth from states with shield laws.
Concerned Floridians are encouraged to visit FloridaAbortionFunds.com to donate to abortion funds which are working every day to ensure that logistical barriers, such as the costs of travel, childcare, and hotels, don’t prevent someone who needs an abortion from accessing one.
The Floridians for Reproductive Freedom Coalition engages supporters from diverse backgrounds in the fight for reproductive freedom, justice, and the full spectrum of reproductive health care. To learn more, sign up at bit.ly/reproinfl. Patients can visit abortioninflorida.com to learn about abortion care options under the near-total ban.
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