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Last updated on May 6, 2008

ACCESS works to make reproductive health and choice a concrete reality for all women. We use direct services, community education and policy advocacy to promote real reproductive options and access to quality health care for women in California, especially low-income and uninsured women, young women, immigrant women, women of color and women in rural or isolated areas.

Description:
The ACCESS English and Spanish healthlines provide free, nonjudgmental information, referrals, peer counseling and advocacy to women seeking birth control, abortion, prenatal care, pap smears, STD testing, and the full range of reproductive health services. Our practical support network and abortion fund provide transportation, overnight housing, child care and other assistance to ensure women can obtain safe abortion services without isolation or delay. ACCESS also uses community education and policy advocacy to expose and challenge the barriers to reproductive health care, in California and beyond.

History:
ACCESS was founded in 1993. We are the only active project of the Women's Health Rights Coalition, which was founded in 1974 as the Coalition for the Medical Rights of Women. Former Coalition projects include groundbreaking work on IUD regulation, DES exposure, workplace safety, sterilization abuse, and abortion rights.

Contact people:

Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email) Destiny Lopez, Executive Director, (phone), (email)

Main office number: (510) 923-0739
Office fax number: (510) 923-0014

Address:

PO Box 3609 Oakland, CA 94609

Web Site: http://www.whrc-access.org

Miscellaneous Information

Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency?
	Spanish
What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency?
	14
Is your agency wheelchair accessible?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10?
	No
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20?
	No

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User Reflections    Post Your Own!
Average Rating (3 reflections)

Overall Experience   
Making a real difference in the lives of women

Working with ACCESS has been a great experience for so many different reasons. Most importantly, the work we do is significant in the lives of our clients - we help them access the services they need and help empower them to advocate for themselves. I have also learned so much here about reproductive rights, women's health, and the real obstacles women face in accessing reproductive health care, especially if they don't qualify for Medi-cal. ACCESS is also a supportive environment where volunteers are really encouraged to investigate, explore, and practice. posted on April 25, 2006

Overall Experience   
Best experience of my life!

I have been answering calls on the hotline for a little over a year now. I’ve also had the opportunity to give practical support rides to women. Volunteering at ACCESS has been a great learning experience for me. The staff and the volunteers have been compassionate and supportive beyond my expectations. ACCESS is truly unique in helping women who face the most barriers, and volunteers are instrumental to its work. If you are interested in providing women with access to non-judgmental information and resources in order to empower them to make choices about their reproductive health, then ACCESS is the place for you. I plan to be a volunteer at ACCESS for life!!! posted by pretina20 on April 21, 2006

Overall Experience   
The young women we are helping are of the highest need, scared, without resources, I am so honored to be able to help.

Access provides any women in need of services with housing, transportation, financial aid or counseling, all without judgement. The group of staff and volunteers are open and generous and commited to women's right to access to abortion and family planning services. My own experiences of providing a place to stay to out of town women getting their abortion at SFGH has ranged from simply providing a bed, to being there in case of complications to acting as an older sister to younger women who arrive scared and alone. At first, I did question why someone would wait so long to decide to get an abortion, but I heard so many valid reasons: they didn't know they were pregnant because they were still getting monthly periods, to they couldn't get their own MediCal card in time for an early abortion, to they simply didn't know where to go, since there weren't any clinics close to home, and by the time they heard about Access, it was already getting late. It made me realize that I didn't know everything, and opened my eyes to the situation of the many young, poor women living in the rural parts of California that simply don't have many choices, nor resources to access for their health care. Not to preach, but if California is one of the better states for women's health care, then we are in sad trouble nationwide. ACCESS has made an important contribution to California, and I am honored to be associated with such a fine group of women. posted by spikekahn on April 21, 2006