Massachusetts abortion hotline to provide free legal advice and resources

Doctors and patients now have a free hotline to call for information about abortion in Massachusetts.

The Abortion Legal Hotline, which can be reached at 833-309-6301, will assist both Massachusetts residents and those who travel here for an abortion. The hotline will connect health care providers and patients with free, confidential legal advice and information about abortion access and care in the state.

"This resource will empower women and health care providers to know their rights, to be able to exercise and defend their rights, and uphold fundamental human dignity," U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark said during a Monday press conference announcing the launch of the hotline. The event was hosted by Attorney General Andrea Campbell and featured only women as speakers.

Clark and Campbell were joined by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and several members of local organizations who brought the hotline to fruition. It will be run by Reproductive Equity Now Foundation and The Women's Bar Foundation, and staffed by pro bono attorneys.

"Today, abortion remains legal in Massachusetts, and no anti-abortion extremists should be able to reach across our borders and challenge that," said Rebecca Hart Holder, president of Reproductive Equity Now.

Pressley, directly addressing anyone who has had abortion or needs one, said, "There is no shame in having had an abortion. And to those who seek abortion care, there is no shame in seeking an abortion. The only shame is that there are unrelenting, coordinated legislative efforts and forces at work to deny you that which is your fundamental human right."

Warren said the hotline will help combat false information about abortion, which has increased since the right to abortion was struck down by the Supreme Court in June.

"With this hotline, Massachusetts is fighting back against misinformation, deception and outright lies. This hotline ensures that both health care providers and patients can confidently go to one centralized place for free to learn about the protections afforded to them under the law," Warren said.