ABORTION SUPPORT VOLUNTEERS IN WASHINGTON, DC

Care without judgment.

For more than ten years, DCDC has offered free, non-medical emotional and physical support to members of our community through a range of abortion and pregnancy loss experiences.

Get support Refer a client

OUR MISSION

We are a DC-based, volunteer-run, collectively-led organization rooted in compassion and committed to centering bodily autonomy, shared knowledge, and care without judgment.

WHAT WE DO

Support through abortion and pregnancy loss.

A doula is a non-medical support person trained to provide physical, emotional, and informational support before, during, and after pregnancy. As abortion doulas, we specialize in supporting people through abortion and pregnancy loss experiences.

Abortion doulas can provide

Nonjudgmental emotional support
Information about abortion and contraception
Pain management techniques
Physical support
Unconditional affirmation of pregnancy decisions

Services we provide

We primarily provide in-person support during abortion procedures at Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Carol Whitehill Moses Center and Falls Church Healthcare Center.

Depending on doula availability and clinic policies, DCDC doulas may also support people having in-clinic abortions elsewhere in the DC area.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Support grounded in reproductive justice.

We are committed to providing doula services to people in the DC area before, during, and after their abortions.
We strive to center Reproductive Justice through anti-racism and anti-oppression frameworks in the care we provide.
We recognize the barriers facing people of color, low-income people, young people, immigrants, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people by offering our services at no cost.
We reject transphobia and homophobia, welcome nontraditional gender expressions, and honor that people of all genders have abortions.
We oppose abortion stigma in all its forms.
We support all people who have abortions for any reason.

HOW WE BEGAN

A collective built around patient-centered support.

The Collective was founded in 2011 by a group of pro-choice birth doulas and reproductive justice advocates who believed that people seeking abortions may desire and benefit from the same patient-centered, nonjudgmental physical and emotional support that doulas traditionally provide during labor and birth. Our work continues today.