Reproductive Justice Action Toolkit

Everyone in South Carolina deserves access to affordable, high-quality reproductive health services that include abortion and ending pregnancy; birth control; prenatal care, birth care and options and postnatal support; and even sterilization. We all deserve the freedom to decide how we live our lives.

In this toolkit you can to find up-to-date reproductive health services in your area, as well as resources and support services for mental health, substance use, youth, LGBTQIA+, sexual assault, food assistance, and more. You will also find ways to speak out for reproductive justice and abortion in South Carolina.

Table of Contents

What is reproductive justice and why is it important for South Carolina? 

Reproductive justice is the idea that everyone of any age, gender, or sexual identity deserves to have autonomy over their bodies and the freedom to decide how they want to live their lives. 

After nearly 50 years, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Americans’ constitutional right to private abortion with Roe v. Wade — against the wishes of most South Carolinians. 69% of South Carolina voters believe the decision to have an abortion should be left to a woman and her doctor, not up to state lawmakers.


We will not allow politicians to take away South Carolinians’ freedom over our own bodies and families. We must support each other, and we will help each other to ensure that everyone can access abortion, birth control, good healthcare, and real support. This website provides resources and support you can trust.

Resources for Support and Care in South Carolina

Statewide + National 

Abortion & Reproductive Justice Resources

Mental Health Resources 

Youth Resources

Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Resources

Resources for People Experiencing Homelessness

LGBTQIA+ Resources

Criminal Justice Resources


Charleston, SC

Mental Health Resources

Youth Resources

Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Resources

Resources for People Experiencing Homelessness

LGBTQIA+ Resources

Substance Use Resources

Elderly Care Resources

Food, Clothing & Other Resources

Columbia, SC

Mental Health Resources

Youth Resources

Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Resources

Resources for People Experiencing Homelessness

LGBTQIA+ Resources

Substance Use Resources

Elderly Care Resources

Food, Clothing and Other Resources

Criminal Justice Resources

Greenville, SC

Mental Health Resources

Youth Resources

Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Resources

Resources for People Experiencing Homelessness

LGBTQIA+ Resources (see statewide)

Substance Use Resources

Food, Clothing & Other Resources

Elderly Care Resources

Criminal Justice Resources

Telling your story about abortion and reproductive justice

Sharing stories can brings us together. Sharing stories create power. And when it comes to reproductive justice, sharing stories expands access.  

We want to uplift your story up so that others in need of the same services feel seen, gain insight, and feel empowered. We recognize the stigma associated with abortion, and the judgement it can bring. We want to challenge these narratives. 

If you feel called do so, please share your abortion story by secure, encrypted email: 

💌 PalmettoStateAbortionStory@Proton.me

Please do not include any names of people, places/facilities/locations, dates or times in your story. By sharing your story, you are giving your consent to share it on the Palmetto State Abortion Fund's* social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; and/or other communications. 

Here are some tips and tools to record your story

Create the ideal environment

When it’s time to record yourself, you’ll want to find a quiet place with the least amount of background noise. Avoid being near any appliances or windows that would allow outside noise to be heard. Closets and bathrooms are always good options. Once you find a place, surround yourself with pillows to help act as soundproofing or throw a blanket over yourself to help block out any unwanted noises.


Find the right tool or app to record your audio

For recording equipment, your phone will work just fine: iPhones have the Voice Memos app, while Androids have Voice Recorder. If you’d like to download a new app for recording, Rev and Voice Recorder & Audio Editor (Apple and Android) are free and easy to use and share. Simply hold your phone a few inches away from your mouth and hit the “record” button.

If you want to take it one step further to create better sound, use an external microphone or a pair of headphones with a microphone — and simply hold the microphone a few inches from your mouth like you would your phone and hit record.

Try to keep the recording between 15 and 60 seconds

Try writing your story before recording it. On average, a 60 second audio clip is roughly between 160-180 words. You may want to test record a couple times to check for sound quality. As you review the final recording, make sure you have not included names, locations, or dates.

You have control over what story you want to share about abortion. Here are some guidepost questions: 

[These questions are adapted from We Testify, an organization dedicated to the leadership and representation of people who have abortions. © 2020]

These stories will always remain anonymous, and we will delete all stories on December 31, 2024. You will always have the right to withdraw your story by contacting us by email.

Talking to someone who has experienced abortion

In order to support everyone in South Carolina's freedom to make decisions about our bodies and families, it's important to talk to each other about the realities of pregnancy, abortion, and reproductive justice.  

Abortion is safe and, even if banned in a particular state, remains a human right.  No abortion should need to be justified or validated.  That said, the decision to have an abortion is highly personal and many people prefer to share their experiences only with trusted folks. Additionally, it is very stressful for people who unfortunately are forced to navigate many barriers to abortion like constantly changing and punitive legislation, rules, and court decisions. 

When talking to someone about their abortion or reproductive experience, be open and supportive. Consider the guidelines below to talk about abortion with others in an ethical and nonjudgemental way.

DO  👍

Always ask for consent, from a storyteller talking about their personal abortion experience. Be specific and upfront about your motivations for listening (even if it's just curiosity), and how you plan to share the story with other people, if at all. 

DON'T  👎

Share abortion stories of others without their consent.

Don't ask abortion providers, abortion funds, or others to share stories that are not theirs to tell.

DO  👍 

Be open, respectful, and listen to people with lived experiences of abortion. Also consider highlighting people with different expertise or experience in the abortion space - patients, providers, lawyers, policymakers, researchers, or advocates - who can provide multifaceted, nuanced perspectives.

Do your research and learn about abortion access and care, including who is disproportionately affected by barriers, criminalization, and stigma.

DON'T  👎

Demand information beyond anyone's comfort zone, at any time. Few people are willing to speak about their abortions immediately afterwards —  a person's past experience with abortion is still valid.

Don't generalize. Every experience is unique and valid.

Be sensitive and ask questions about the storyteller's identities that might be marginalized, or privileged, and how that may've impacted their abortion experiences.

DO  👍 

Ask more generally about the pregnancy and abortion experience. Allow storytellers to provide more broad answers about location, time period, and helpers. Be okay with a storyteller declining a question they feel is too personal.

DON'T  👎

Ask for very specific information about an abortion, such as where and when happened. These details could potentially put the storyteller and those who supported them at risk of criminalization, stigma, or retribution. 

DO  👍

Use inclusive language to describe abortion, such as:

DON'T  👎

Use medically inaccurate, outdated, harmful, racist, or gender-exclusive language to describe abortion, such as: