In light of the Supreme Court's recent attack on Roe v. Wade, reproductive health care access is more vital than ever. Williams College, located in rural northwestern Massachusetts, needs to take action to increase accessibility to abortion services. Specifically, the Williams College Health Center should provide medication abortion pills to students without an outside referral.

The closest Planned Parenthood that performs surgical abortions is located in Albany, NY which is an hour trip by car and more than three hours via public transportation. Offering abortion medication on campus would not only remove the barrier of travel, but would allow students an easier option, as medication abortions are significantly less invasive, less painful, and have less of a recovery time than surgical abortions.

Legislation recently introduced by Mass state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa  and state Sen. Jason Lewis H2399/S1470 would ensure safe, equitable and affordable access to abortion pills at public university health centers in Massachusetts. Schools like UMass Amherst have already started to make abortion pills available. 

Williams needs to take action to make healthcare accessible.