Air Force Staff Sgt. Octavia James has helped fellow airmen navigate the difficult choices faced by women in the military when they are contemplating an abortion. People usually seek James out when they don’t feel comfortable going to a commanding officer.
She has invited airmen to stay in her apartment in Norfolk, Va., while they recover from an abortion. She recalls once having to help a friend out of the shower because her sedation was slow to wear off.
“Every person's different,” she said. “Everybody recovers different, everybody needs different things after, and everybody's seeking an abortion for a different reason. So I can't tell you what's best for you.
But if you need me, I'm here.” Seeking an abortion has always presented unique challenges for women in the military. For decades, a measure known as the Hyde amendment has banned federal funding for most abortions, and only allows military doctors to perform abortions in the case of rape, incest or where the life of the mother is at stake.
But more than two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, striking down the constitutional right to abortion, the obstacles for members of the military have only gotten harder. Some 40% of women in the military now serve in states with abortion bans or expanded abortion restrictions.
This new landscape has left many service members scrambling to navigate their options, having to figure out how to travel — sometimes hundreds of miles from base — even thoug.
