The past couple years have seen an unprecedented number of anti-abortion laws.These laws have forced clinics to shut down because of stringent regulations and placed unfair burdens on women seeking health care, such as requiring them to go through biased counseling, have ultrasounds performed, and endure mandatory waiting times.These laws have not succeeded in making abortion illegal.They have only succeeded in making it harder for low-income women to get abortions.Luckily, there are pro-choice groups who are stepping in to help women who cannot pay for aborti

Non-profit groups have long helped low-income women with their right to choice.In addition to counseling and support, many groups provide financial help like no-interest loans and grants.Since the recent flood of anti-choice laws though, these groups have seen a drastic increase in requests for financial help.

The Lilith Fund, one nonprofit which provides financial assistance for abortion, saw their number of requests jump from 2,300 in 2010 to 3,443 in 2012, reports the LA Times.The New York Abortion Access Fund increased their assistance by 31% from 2011 to 2012.The Hersey Fund had twice as many calls from two years before and gave assistance to 135% more women.

Most states do not allow public funds to be used for abortion and even the states which do allow Medicaid to cover abortion usually only allow it in situations of rape, incest, or the life of the mother is at risk.Abortions are cheapest at the early stages of pregnancy, costing about $500 for the procedure.By 24 weeks, abortions cost about $3000.Because of all the new laws restricting abortion, it is increasingly difficult for women to have their abortions in the early stages.The laws also make abortion more expensive because women have to make multiple trips to the clinic, which means time off of work and transportation costs.The price of abortion is also increased due to mandatory ultrasounds.

Anti-choice groups claim that laws restricting abortion access are designed to help women.Yet, they fail to explain how it helps low-income women – the people who will be most affected by unwanted pregnancies – to make the procedure harder to access and more expensive.