Contact: Susan Chorley
info@exhaleprovoice.org | 857-728-1318
SAN FRANCISCO — To better address the emotional health needs of people who have experienced abortion, today Exhale launched a free, confidential abortion support textline.
The new textline will complement Exhale’s confidential talkline, ensuring Exhale’s trained volunteer counselors are available to those in need of support seven days a week.
This textline was born from two trends,” said Susan Chorley, executive director of Exhale, “first, 58 percent of teens now say that texting is the primary way they communicate with those close to them, compared to only 10 percent who say the same about phone calls.1 We are evolving to meet people where they are.
In addition, an increase in aggressive state-level abortion bans is decreasing the number of Americans with access to safe, licensed abortion providers, which lessens the likelihood of them or their partners receiving high quality, nonjudgmental support in their own communities. Where reproductive health clinics are present and can offer follow-up calls and appointments, the primary focus is often on the medical well-being and recovery of the body. There is often little bandwidth left to deal with emotional recovery, complicated by the reticence we often hear from callers uncomfortable voicing shame or conflict about the procedure at the facility where it took place.
The practical reality is that, for many, Exhale is the only support they can realistically access.”
The textline is available at 617-749-2948 on Tuesday and Friday from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. PT and Saturday from 2 p.m. – 8 p.m. PT. Learn more at exhaleprovoice.org. Exhale’s texting platform uses Smooch to route texts through Slack to protect the anonymity of all who text us.
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Exhale is the nation’s premiere organization addressing the emotional health and well-being of people after abortion. Founded in 2000, Exhale provides and promotes emotional support across a dynamic landscape of private and public spaces, online and offline, including a talkline, a textline, and in-person programming.
1 https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/08/20/how-having-smartphones-or-not-shapes-the-way-teens-communicate/