Abortion Patient Experiences with Protestors While Accessing Care in Mississippi

Introduction In October 2019, the Jackson, Mississippi city council passed a buffer, bubble, and quiet zone ordinance to discourage protestor activity outside the state's only licensed abortion facility. We sought to learn about patients' encounters with protestors and how the ordinance would have affected their experiences obtaining care. Methods Before the passage of the ordinance, patients seeking care at the Mississippi facility enrolled in a prospective study on access to abortion and contraception. We invited participants completing the six-month follow-up survey between November 2019 and January 2020 to participate in an in-depth interview over the phone about their experiences with protestors at their visits. We analyzed interview transcripts for content and themes using inductive and deductive approaches. Results Of 30 participants interviewed, the majority expected to see protesters at their visits but were surprised at the number present and how close they were able to get to patients, which made some feel unsafe. Participants also reported that protestors' offers of adoption and financial support were unwanted and that they were able to withstand comments that promoted shame and stigma because of their strong sense of reproductive autonomy. Participants credited clinic escorts and security with helping mitigate negative protestor encounters. Nearly all felt the city ordinance would have improved their experience by making them feel safer and more at ease. Conclusions Protestors created negative experiences for the majority of study participants, even though the facility adopted strategies to ameliorate protestors' impacts. Policy Implications Additional protections are needed to ensure people can obtain abortion care with respect.