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Inside Cascade PBS

Let’s talk about reproductive healthcare access in the PNW. Share your story.

Our coverage of abortion access centers on stories about real people. Would you like to help?

Let’s talk about reproductive healthcare access in the PNW. Share your story.

Repuplish

The biggest story of the week wasn’t much of a surprise for people who have been paying close attention to the abortion debate alongside the evolving politics of the U.S. Supreme Court.

As soon as the justices announced they would be considering a case that could potentially overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, I assigned reporters to write two stories I knew would likely have a double life. As did editors at nearly every news organization in the country.

The first story, by Melissa Santos, reminded readers of the abortion rights codified in Washington state law and why a Supreme Court ruling in the other Washington wouldn’t change the reality that women here can get an abortion, as long as they can find a place to have the procedure (more on this later).

The second story, by Megan Burbank, asked abortion providers to look ahead to a post-Roe world (yes, we and lots of other people expected the court’s conservative majority would likely erode the right to get an abortion in places without strong protections).

When the draft decision was leaked to Politico this week, we resurfaced those stories because they are just as relevant now, or maybe even more so. Then I went home, put my feet up and took a nap. Joking.

I contacted Megan and asked her to work on another story, one that focuses on how abortion access is limited in some parts of Washington, despite our strong state laws. She is also working on second story, about people traveling over the Idaho border to get an abortion in Washington.

We’re hoping both stories will focus on real people and their experiences, if we can find people willing to share their stories. I know abortion is difficult enough, even without a reporter and photographer standing by. But we’re going to ask anyway and hope that a few of you might be willing to share your experiences with Crosscut readers.

So, if you are willing, please share a few details with us on this form and let us know if you would be willing to talk to Megan. Even if you have a story to share, but don’t want to be included in an article, we’d still like to hear from you. Your perspectives matter and we’re listening.