Nik Zaleski was pulling into the parking lot of a Planned Parenthood in northern California on March 17 when she received a text message from a close friend: “Governor Newsom is about to announce this shelter in place order. Get everything you need before the city goes on lockdown.” Of course, Zaleski’s friend had no idea that what she needed, at that moment, was a medication abortion.

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed life for us all, but for me and people across the United States who need abortions, we have yet another decision to make; should we go outside and potentially expose ourselves to the virus or stay home with a pregnancy we don't want to continue? My abortion was essential, so I went