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Editor’s note: This article contains mentions of sexual assault.

A crowd of nearly 100 students and community members gathered in Walnut Park Friday to protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“Last year I was part of a statistic,” one student said as they detailed their experience with sexual assault to the crowd.

At the protest, organized by the Syracuse Party for Socialism and Liberation, students and community members spoke about their experiences with sexual health, violence and access to reproductive care.

“I had to go and get Plan B, and I was a freshman in college. I was ashamed. I felt embarrassed. I didn’t tell anyone. It was hard. It’s not a fun thing to try and go get Plan B, and it’s not a fun thing to try and go get an abortion,” the student said. “The government is making it like a choice that we want to have. It’s a choice that we need to have.”

The Court’s leaked opinion authored by Justice Samuel Alito, which could go into effect as soon as late June, would enable aboriton bans and restrictions to go into immediate effect in the 13 states with trigger laws and nine states with pre-Roe abortion bans and restrictions.

New York state is not at risk of abortion bans or restrictions, as the state codified Roe v. Wade in 2019. Gov. Kathy Hochul has also said following the leak that New York will be a refuge for abortion access in the U.S.

But Vera House officials told The Daily Orange that the organization expects abortion restrictions in other states will impact the way they proceed with sexual violence and assault cases on campus at Syracuse University.

Chris Kosakowski, the campus team coordinator for Vera House, said in an interview that education and visibility will be central to the organization’s adaptation to bans and restrictions in some states. A shift or change at the federal level creates waves in communities, he said.

“We’re going to need to increase our visibility so that people know that they’re not alone in this,” Kosakowski said. “I can imagine there are a lot of people at home alone right now who are receiving this news and they are terrified and they think they’re alone in this process. We are here to help folks not be alone.”

Kosakowski said a main facet of Vera House’s work centers on trauma. Seeking out an abortion or other contraceptive needs can invite increased trauma to already-traumatic situations, he added.

As a domestic and sexual violence agency, Vera House plans to support students experiencing trauma in relation to abortion care, Kosakowski said.

“When we have systems in our world that then make decisions on how a person handles their autonomy, (that) is taking power and control away from a human being. And those are abusive coercive tactics,” Kosaokowski said. “When the systems make these decisions and laws and changes for folks, when it comes to their rights, that is traumatic.”

Marynda Chipman, an SU graduate student studying social work and intern at St. Joseph’s Hospital, attended the rally. The drafted decision and its impact on college campuses will affect the types of resources and support her clients will need from her going forward, she said at the rally.

In a 2020 survey of SU students, 19% said they experienced nonconsensual sexual contact while attending the univeristy. Of those who were sexually assaulted, 95% did not file a report.

“Every woman on campus knows that there’s a high chance of sexual assault that happens, which means a higher chance of pregnancy,” Chipman said.

Protesters hold signs in support of reproductive healthcare rights.
Wendy Wang | Staff Photographer

Michelle Casey, the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York, also told The D.O. that abortion bans and restrictions put people on college campuses who can get pregnant at increased risk, especially if they reside in “trigger” states, or states where abortion bans and restrictions would immediately go into effect.

Casey also referenced The Turnaway Study, which concluded women who got abortions had better health and circumstantial outcomes than those who did not.

“People in college are generally trying to better themselves and get an education so they can be on some type of path to improve their economic trajectory,” Casey said. “If they have an unintended pregnancy of any variety and are forced to carry that pregnancy, obviously that can really derail where things go.”

Another student at the rally who lives in New York spoke to her concern that attending school in Ohio, a state with no legal protections for abortion care, puts her at risk.

“At this point in my life, there is not a chance in hell that a pregnancy or a birth or a child would be all possible for me without ruining all of my chances for future success,” said the student, who is also a student athlete. “Taking away that right is disgusting. I can’t be on birth control and Plan B doesn’t work for me.”

Both Planned Parenthood and New York state have agreed college students are a priority for resources and aid, Casey said, because they fit into the categories of young people and people with less financial means.

Casey said Planned Parenthood is currently in talks with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office and the state legislature about creating a fund for state abortion care providers. The organization also requested a safety net program for those not covered by insurance or who do not qualify for existing state-funded insurance, including non-residents.

While the state mandates that insurance cover abortion care, Casey said, some states do not have this requirement. But the safety-net insurance plan could increase accessibility for students who don’t live in the state, especially since university-provided insurance often also doesn’t cover abortion care, she said.

Even with increased funding, organizations like Planned Parenthood in New York state still face an influx of individuals traveling from states with bans and restrictions to receive care, she said. With the closing of the two Family Planning Services clinics of Syracuse in March, Casey said that delivering abortion care will be increasingly difficult unless the location can expand its staff adequately.

When funding from New York state is not consistent with the demand for the services the organization provides, that threatens Planned Parenthood’s business model and ability to deliver timely care, Casey said.

“We are operating on razor thin margins,” Casey said. “We are at the same funding levels that we were at 10 years ago, and it’s just not sustainable to run a business. It’s hard to do that when you’re getting paid the same thing you were getting paid in 2012.”

Published on May 7, 2022 at 1:51 am

Contact Jana: jlseal@syr.edu | @JanaLoSeal