Skip to main content
The homepageVoxVox logo
The homepageVoxVox logo

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

I’m pregnant. I’m traveling. I’m terrified.

My family reunion is in South Carolina. Essential care for my high-risk pregnancy is not.

by Aubrey Hirsch
travelHeader
travelHeader
Illustrated panel showing a hand holding a positive pregnancy test. Text reads: Several months ago, my partner and I bought plane tickets for a family reunion in South Carolina. Then we found out I was pregnant
Illustrated panel showing a woman in thought. Text reads: Two thoughts occurred to me at the exact same moment. “We can tell my family about the pregnancy when we’re all together!” “Will I be able to get the health care I need if something goes wrong while we’re there?”
Illustrated panel showing an embryo. Text reads: Abortion care is banned in South Carolina as soon as fetal cardiac activity is detectable, usually around 6 weeks. Arrows point to the embryo with three facts: not actually a fetus until week 9, no heart yet, just an intermittent electronic pulsing, about as big as a grain of rice.
Illustrated panel showing a woman bracing herself as an oversized gavel comes down on her. Text reads: There are very limited exceptions for rape or incest, nonviable pregnancies, or to preserve the life or health of the pregnant person. // Women in states with strict bans are frequently denied essential care since these exceptions are not just limited, but also unclear.
Illustrated panel showing torn paper with news reports. Text reads: Denials and delays of care have had devastating outcomes. Amanda Zurawski, who suffered from membrane rupture during her pregnancy, almost died after being denied abortion care and developing sepsis. Elizabeth Weller’s water broke at 19 weeks. Though the baby would be unable to survive, hospital staff forced her to remain pregnant until she developed chorioamnionitus, a serious infection of the placenta and amniotic fluid. Jaci Statton continues to suffer long-term repercussions from being compelled to carry a molar pregnancy — a tumor that can lead to severe bleeding, cancer, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and death. Source: Center for Reproductive Rights
Illustration showing various pregnancy complications. Text reads: 1 in 10 pregnant people develop one of these dangerous complications that may require termination: Preeclampsia, a sudden rise in blood pressure (4% of pregnancies); PPROM, premature rupturing of the amniotic sac (3% of pregnancies); Ectopic pregnancy, a pregnancy that implants outside the uterus (2% of pregnancies); Placenta abruption, the placenta separates from the uterus prematurely (1% of pregnancies)
Illustrated panel showing a mother with her two children touching her pregnant belly. Text reads: My pregnancy is high-risk, and I already have two children who need me alive and well.
Illustrated panel showing a tropical drink in a coconut, a restaurant menu, and a palm tree on the beach next to abortion ban signs. Text reads: So, in addition to researching kid-friendly restaurants and nearby beaches for our trip, I found myself having to study abortion laws in South Carolina and surrounding states.
Illustrated panel showing a map of the US, with states color-coded by level of abortion restriction. Text reads: I located a hospital in the closest state that could offer me a full range of health care options, including termination of my pregnancy. Source: Planned Parenthood
Illustrated panel showing the driving route from the reunion in South Carolina to the nearest hospital that will terminate pregnancies, in North Carolina, a 40.9-mile drive that takes 54 minutes. It also shows the route to a hospital in Virginia, 341 miles and 5 hours and 25 minutes away. Text reads: It was in North Carolina. This is already a daunting drive in a crisis, but if the reunion were a couple weeks later, we’d have to travel much farther, to Virginia.
Illustrated panel showing a car, a stopwatch, and a stack of money. Text reads: This would be possible for us because we have access to a car, budget for unexpected expenses, and time off from our jobs. I know that fleeing the state for medical care isn’t an option that’s available to everyone.
Illustrated panel showing a woman in front of a normal emergency room on the left and one behind barbed wire on the right. Text reads: As a pregnant woman in a country with no federal protection for abortion, it’s terrifying to know that the emergency medical care I might receive depends on where I am when something goes wrong.
Illustrated panel showing many different kinds of people in silhouette. Text reads: Abortion bans like South Carolina’s are a danger to everyone, not just those facing unwanted pregnancies. And not just people living in red states.
Illustrated panel showing a woman holding her pregnant belly. Text reads: Until reproductive freedom is available to every person, everywhere, none of us are truly safe.
See More:

Most Popular

  1. Donald Trump messed with the wrong pope
  2. Take a mental break with the newest Vox crossword
  3. The Supreme Court could legalize moonshine, and ruin everything else
  4. Obama’s top Iran negotiator on Trump’s screwups
    Podcast
  5. The Air Quality Index and how to use it, explained

More in Life

Politics
Donald Trump messed with the wrong popeDonald Trump messed with the wrong pope
Politics

Trump fought with Pope Francis before. He’s finding Pope Leo XIV to be a tougher foil.

By Christian Paz
Advice
8 ways to zone out and relax that don’t involve being on your phone8 ways to zone out and relax that don’t involve being on your phone
Advice

It is possible to shut your brain off without falling into the mindless scrolling trap.

By Julia Ries Wexler
Advice
What trainers actually think about the 12-3-30 workoutWhat trainers actually think about the 12-3-30 workout
Advice

Have we finally unlocked exercise’s biggest secret? Or is this yet another lie perpetrated Big Treadmill?

By Alex Abad-Santos
Politics
Donald Trump’s pivot to blasphemyDonald Trump’s pivot to blasphemy
Politics

Attacking the pope and posing as Jesus — even religious conservatives are mad this time.

By Christian Paz
Explain It to Me
Hope vs. optimism, explainedHope vs. optimism, explained
Podcast
Explain It to Me

A psychology professor makes the case for hope.

By Jonquilyn Hill
Future Perfect
Am I too poor to have a baby?Am I too poor to have a baby?
Future Perfect

How society convinced us that childbearing is morally wrong without a fat budget.

By Sigal Samuel