While Michiganders have a constitutional right to have an abortion, being able to access abortion care is another story.
“Our infrastructure around abortion, even in Michigan, is extremely stigmatized and hard to navigate,” said Jex Blackmore, co-founder of Hydra Mutual Aid Fund, a grassroots group based in Detroit that reduces barriers by providing direct support for abortion care whenever possible. This includes providing financial assistance for abortion services and distributing supplies such as condoms, pregnancy tests, Plan B, and other critical reproductive health items and education resources across Michigan.
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As anti-abortion groups spend millions to fund the campaigns of Michigan Republican lawmakers who want to restrict Michiganders’ access to reproductive healthcare, the Hydra Fund recently established a program that provides “abortion doulas”—professionals who have been trained to help navigate and support individuals throughout their abortion, while also offering resources and emotional support.
“Essentially, an abortion doula is there to support somebody through evaluating their options and helping navigate this complicated system of care,” Blackmore said. Hydra Fund’s abortion accompaniment training model was shaped by the knowledge and practices of acompañante collectives in Mexico, whose community-based abortion support frameworks are part of a globally proven model for expanding safe, informed, and compassionate abortion access outside traditional medical systems.
While clinics play an essential role in abortion care, many people also need logistical help and ongoing support before, during, and after their abortion. Accompaniment programs like Hydra Fund’s abortion doulas fill that gap by offering continuous, community-based care throughout the process—and studies have shown that these types of programs improve the emotional and physical health of abortion seekers.
“People have reported back saying that they appreciated the fact that we check in with them, that we are there, and that we provide more support than people who get care at a clinic,” Blackmore said, adding that Hydra Fund’s abortion doulas have also helped expand the organization’s helpline to be available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST seven days a week. This expansion means more Michiganders can reach a trained and trusted person when they need abortion assistance after most brick-and-mortar clinics close.
“We’ve had enormous success with people who come out of this experience feeling cared for,” Blackmore said.
This success has led to a spike in applicants signing up to train as abortion doulas. In June, after putting out a call for applications for its next cohort, Blackmore said that at least 50 Michiganders applied.
“It’s really exciting. We are super excited to be able to build community with those folks,” Blackmore said.
Those who are accepted into the program will complete a six-week in-person training with a curriculum covering client-centered care, abortion medicine, digital and physical safety, security practices, and support across gestational experiences.
“Abortion doulas don’t provide medical advice, but we do share accurate medical information that is available to anyone online, and [trainees] will go through an extensive process of learning that,” Blackmore said.
Once their training is complete, the cohort is required to provide abortion care for a year with Hydra Fund, often receiving additional training while working with other abortion doulas who previously graduated from the program.
“We’re really creating this ‘train the teacher’ model, and hope to create a web of care so that, regardless of who comes and takes that training, they will have that information for the rest of their life, and I think that’s really important,” Blackmore said.
As the program grows, Blackmore hopes it will inspire Michiganders as they continue to work together to knock down barriers to critical reproductive healthcare.
“I think that in providing this care, we are showing people that, when institutions fail us, or when they are not serving the needs of the people, we have the capacity to build the future that we need right now, without waiting for permission, without waiting for legislative decisions to be made, and without waiting for legal protections,” Blackmore said.
“We can do this now, and we are doing that.”
To learn more about the Hydra Mutual Aid Fund and the work they’re doing, visit their website.
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