Dear John,

Today marks the 49th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade. While we reflect on how this decision changed the course of history and society in the United States, we also recognize that Roe may not reach its 50th anniversary.

While Roe is older than I am, abortion is illegal in my home country. I saw firsthand how the lack of abortion access changes the course of people’s lives and that of their families. I became an abortion provider because I want to empower people. I am keenly aware of the power of abortion care. It gives people the ability to have control over their bodies, autonomy in their lives, and the power to determine their future.

When I worked as an abortion provider in North Carolina, people with very little resources could not easily get the abortion they wanted because of the numerous attacks on abortion rights. My colleagues in places like Texas are left without the ability to help those who need abortion, and many women are left to continue pregnancies that are dangerous to their health.

Even with Roe in place, we still have a lot of work to do. I see that access to abortion care is not shared equitably by all who need it – especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), as well as those who are young, low-income, and live in abortion care deserts. As a mother, a Black woman, and a doctor, my commitment to abortion access is deeply personal and professional.

These inequities and injustices are sure to get worse in the coming year. Will you donate to NIRH today to address these issues? [[link removed]]

I joined the Board of the National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) because of its focus on building power and making real change where it matters most, at the state and local levels. NIRH fights for equitable access to reproductive health care – and in a time when it’s necessary for so many in our community to play defense, NIRH is unique. We go on the offensive to pass laws that ensure people can get the care they need today, while putting protections in place to counter efforts to further erode access.

NIRH’s approach to advocacy, policy, and politics strives to center the people who are most impacted by barriers to care, historically underserved, and often under-represented. We center the real needs of the people that I see every day – and forge real solutions to make their lives better.

In the last year alone, with our partners, we’ve enacted new laws protecting abortion rights and access in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Virginia; expanded access to doulas in Connecticut and Rhode Island; improved affordability of contraception in Mississippi and Wisconsin; and secured funding for reproductive health care – including abortion -- in Austin, Kalamazoo, New York, and Portland.

As an abortion provider in New York, my patients get to benefit from the work NIRH has done for abortion access in my state. I want that for people everywhere. For these reasons and more, I ask you to join me in supporting NIRH. [[link removed]] For all we have done, and all that remains to be done in the months and years ahead.




All my best,
Antoinette Danvers, M.D.
NIRH Board Member







National Institute for Reproductive Health
14 Wall St
Suite 3B
New York, NY 10005
United States

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