Doctor Proposes Floating Abortion Clinic In Gulf Of Mexico To Bypass Bans

A California doctor has proposed the idea of a floating abortion clinic that will operate in federal waters to bypass state laws that restrict the medical procedure.

Dr. Meg Autry, an OB-GYN and professor at the University of California San Francisco, said the floating clinic will be located in the Gulf of Mexico to help abortion-seeking individuals from southern states, where bans on the procedure have already been enforced after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, USA Today reported.

"This is going to be a very large monetary effort that is funded by philanthropy and maybe a donated vessel," the doctor told ABC7 News.

The idea, which she said has been brewing for years, will reportedly provide a clinic aboard a ship that offers "contraception, point of care, STI testing and treatment." "We're hoping vaccination, as well as surgical terminations," she added.

The proposed floating clinic, called PRROWESS: Protecting Reproductive Rights of Women Endangered by State Statutes, is still in the fundraising stage.

The non-profit's legal team believes licensed providers can use federal waters to stay out of the reach of state laws while safely and legally providing abortions. Autry also said their team is ready to take on the legal challenges that may arise.

The exact location of the floating clinic has not been determined but will be chosen to help abortion-seekers mainly living in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and other states on the Gulf Coast.

Autry also said she aims to provide the clinic's services to patients at a low cost or for free.

"The reason for this particular innovation is if you look at the Gulf, every state that borders the Gulf is restrictive," she continued. "The people who will be served by this will be the people that don't have the money, means or time to go elsewhere."

"We've done all the detailed research we can do and going forward it depends on the kind of vessel we can get," Autry said further.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade last month has intensified the urgency of the need for such a clinic, the doctor said.

"There's been an assault on reproductive rights in our country and I'm a lifelong advocate for reproductive health and choice. We have to create options and be thoughtful and creative to help people in restrictive states get the health care they deserve," she told AP News.

Hoping the clinic will be ready by next year, Autry said PRROWESS is seeking donations as the cost is estimated to be at least $20 million. She also hopes a vessel will be donated soon.

"There's operational, logistics, there's the whole idea of maritime law and then there's obviously security, there's liability, I mean the challenges are countless," Autry said, according to CBS News.

The team is also trying to figure out the best way to get abortion-seekers to the vessel.