The UCSF doctor who made national headlines last year for seeking to provide abortions in federal waters, several miles off the coasts of states that heavily restrict them, is still stuck on land — for now.

Dr. Amy “Meg” Autry’s ambitious plan involved raising tons of money and purchasing a vessel where abortions could be offered to those living near the Gulf Coast who can’t afford to drive or fly elsewhere.

But a year later, despite raising over a million dollars from small donors, she hasn’t been able to secure donations from wealthy benefactors or large foundations wary of investing in an enterprise that would almost immediately enter the legal crosshairs of states with newly restrictive abortion laws.

The initiative — Protecting Reproductive Rights of Women Endangered by State Statutes (PRROWESSS ) — has made little progress, Autry said. She has yet to even acquire a boat.

“With the whole legal situation here in the U.S., we could have a launch one day and be shut down the next day,” said Autry, who is currently based at the UCSF medical center in Fresno, swapping time between there and San Francisco.

The project is one front in a broader push across the country to protect abortion access following the Supreme Court’s dramatic overturn last year of Roe v. Wade which ended nearly a half-century of federal abortion rights.

So far, 24 states have implemented or are on the path to adopting wide restrictions on abortions, with near-total bans enacted in Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, among others, including last week in Indiana.

Hundreds of pregnant individuals have come to California seeking the procedure. Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, a group of affiliated West Coast clinics, reported a 300% increase in out-of-state patients, with hot spots in San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento and Fresno.

Meanwhile, mail-order access to the most widely used abortion drug, mifepristone, is also facing a potential ban that will be reviewed by the Supreme Court after clearing a federal appeals court earlier this month.

PRROWESS, on the other hand, intends to carry out the actual surgical procedure onboard, which Autry sees as critical to ensuring the option remains widely available.

“With surgical abortions, once you do it, it’s done,” she said. “With medication, it’s like going through labor — (the pills) cause your uterus to cramp, and it hurts. But you can do it at home; it’s more discreet. People have different preferences and should be able to make the choice.”

The lack of funding has limited Autry’s own options, forcing her to think minimally about the type of vessel used and how many people would staff it.

Even if her vision came to fruition, the logistical and legal implications are murky: It’s unclear, for instance, how pregnant patients would manage to travel several miles out to sea from the coasts of trigger states, and what consequences would be in store for anyone who helped them return to shore.

Since most state jurisdictions extend offshore by 3 miles — often as many as 9 miles — the abortions would likely be administered in rough seas, with minimal security….

From the East Bay Times