We’re proud to share a recent opinion piece by Dr. William Richardson — founder of Choices Women’s Center and President of Choices Abortion Network — published in The Arizona Republic.

In this article, Dr. Richardson reflects on the ongoing fight to protect reproductive health care access in Arizona, the impact on Southern Arizona communities, and why local advocacy and patient support matter now more than ever.

His perspective highlights how policy changes directly affect real patients and underscores the importance of building community-based solutions to ensure care remains accessible..

For more than two decades, Arizona lawmakers have worked steadily and deliberately to make abortion harder to access. Waiting periods. Mandatory in-person visits. Telemedicine bans. Each restriction framed as “reasonable.” Each one pushing care farther out of reach for patients with the fewest resources.

And when given the opportunity, some in our legislature showed us just how far they were willing to go: resurrecting a law written in the 1860s — before Arizona was a state, before women could vote — to ban abortion outright.

That episode should have ended any illusion that these policies were about moderation or compromise. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. When the chance arose, abortion access was not merely restricted; it was eliminated.

Southern Arizona felt that threat acutely. We are geographically large, medically underserved, and home to many patients who cannot easily travel, take time off work, or arrange childcare. When access is restricted in Arizona, Southern Arizonans are disproportionately affected.

Tucson stepping up for abortion access

That reality is why the responsibility for protecting reproductive health care in Southern Arizona increasingly falls not on Phoenix or Washington, but on us. On Tucson. De Tucson. Por Tucson.

Tucson has long been a community that shows up when institutions fail. We value dignity, autonomy and neighbor-to-neighbor care. When public policy breaks down, we build local solutions.

That is the spirit behind Choices Abortion Network (CAN).

CAN was created to ensure that patients in Southern Arizona are not left alone when care becomes harder to access. At its core, CAN is a charitable organization, providing direct financial support to patients who need abortion care but cannot afford it. For many, that support makes the difference between receiving care and being forced to continue a pregnancy against their will.

But CAN was never meant to stop there. Patient support without advocacy is fragile. If unjust laws remain in place, the need only grows. That is why CAN also supports advocacy — because access is not secure unless it is defended.

Telemedicine abortion still faces challenges

With the backing of CAN and its board of directors, I participated in litigation challenging Arizona’s ban on telemedicine abortion care. Telemedicine allows patients, especially those in rural or medically underserved areas, to receive safe, evidence-based care without unnecessary travel or delay. Blocking it does not improve safety; it simply erects barriers.

Earlier this month, a judge issued a preliminary injunction against Arizona’s 24-hour waiting period and telemedicine abortion ban. For the first time in years, abortion care in Arizona can now be provided without arbitrary delay. For the first time ever, we are preparing to offer care by mail.

This is a moment of progress. But it is not without peril. While Arizona patients are beginning to benefit from expanded access, efforts are underway elsewhere to roll it back. In short: what one court gives, another could take away.

The fight is not over

This moment calls for not just relief but resolve. It calls for building infrastructure that can survive policy whiplash, ensuring patients do not bear legal uncertainty, and committing not just to legality — but to real access.

CAN’s model of community-rooted care paired with strategic advocacy is built for precisely this moment. Tucson is uniquely positioned to lead. We are generous. We are engaged. We believe in taking care of our own.

Choices Abortion Network exists because Southern Arizona deserves both compassion and courage: support for patients today, and advocacy to protect access tomorrow.

— Dr. William Richardson
Founder, Choices Women’s Center
President, Choices Abortion Network