Abortion Havens Short on Spanish Speakers Scramble to Prepare

Abortion providers in states billing themselves as safe havens are grappling with how best to serve an influx of clients who may not speak fluent English, given the limited resources available.

Some of those safe-haven states, like Minnesota, have small Hispanic and Latino populations. Providing translators and ensuring necessary forms are available in Spanish or other languages will further strain the budgets of small women’s health clinics. However, reproductive rights advocates said those steps are necessary to ensure that every client can access needed treatments.

“The language barrier has always existed,” said América Ramirez, program director at the ...