California community colleges must follow the lead of U.C.s and CSUs and provide medical abortions to their students.
Following the 2019 decision that will provide abortion access to students at public California universities by 2023, a huge need is left unmet by neglecting community college students in this decision.
LBCC Student Health Services declined to comment regarding the feasibility of this at LBCC, saying there has not been any thorough conversation at this point.
Particularly during an administration that continually threatens protections for reproductive rights, this decision would provide support to students along with recognition that abortion access is a necessary health service.
Community colleges in California serve over 2 million students, who are particularly impacted in terms of resources and personal income compared to CSUs and UCs.
An attack on abortion rights largely impacts those who are mostly marginalized, generally those who are low-income and people of color, and community college students are largely comprised of these groups.
Lack of abortion access for students creates a barrier to education, which community college students already experience at a greater extend than students at four-year-institutions.
At LBCC, 56% of students can be considered low-income as indicated by their receipt of the Federal Pell Grant Aid.
The demand for this service at community colleges has been steadily increasing alongside enrollment rates, with studies demonstrating that college enrollment has increased over the past 20 years, largely including lower-income students and students of color.
Furthermore, this leads to a far higher amount of students living in poverty compared to in previous decades. In fact, according to a 2016 study, 24% of CSU students could be food insecure. Similar data is unavailable for community college students, but the rates are estimated to be even higher due to the increased accessibility of two-year schools.
Considering the vast amount of students specifically at community colleges already in or nearing poverty, being denied an abortion is likely to further amplify this financial stress, adding further obstacles to college graduation. In fact, lack of abortion access is linked to lack of college completion.
This need is particularly pressing for community college students, as community college students already take longer to graduate on average than at four-year-institutions. For instance, for students that began at LBCC in Fall 2016, only 6% of full-time, first-time students graduated or transferred out within “normal time” to complete their programs.
Community college students often stray from the typical “four-year-degree” college path that is widely normalized, with unique life circumstances and barriers that can often delay or prolong the pursuit of a degree.
Providing safe abortion access to all college students will ensure a more equal opportunity to pursue one’s degree.
Even though abortion is currently protected under California’s state Constitution, as of 2017, 40% of Calif. Counties had no clinics providing abortions, according to Guttmacher, demonstrating the restrictions and and inaccessibility that exists dispite legal protection.
For students experiencing an unwanted pregnancy and unable to get an abortion, or who have to spend time finding access to one off-campus, these stressors can be eliminated by providing access on campus grounds.
Providing safe, accessible abortions would help reduce these barriers, providing a safer, more supportive learning environment that all students deserve.