In this short documentary, filmmaker Dawn Porter profiles Yashica Robinson, one of the few physicians in Alabama who provides abortion care. Discussing her work as an OB-GYN, Robinson says, "I don't really separate abortion care from everything in obstetrics and gynecology."
Robinson explains, "I went into obstetrics and gynecology mainly because I wanted to work with young women like myself ... I think that it's important for [my patients] to have somebody that they feel like they can really identify with." While she loves her job, Robinson says she can find it difficult to find downtime, noting, "If I leave, that means that there can be a timeframe that there's no access to abortion care for the patients."
Separately, Dalton Johnson, owner of the Alabama Women's Wellness Center, discusses some of the challenges Robinson faces as an abortion provider. "She has really limited support here in the medical community because the medical community doesn't want the ... protesters outside their office and ... the physicians [who] fly in don't have to deal with the constant ... harassment," he says. Robinson also explains the difficulties the protesters pose for her patients, who are sometimes confused and concerned for their safety.
In addition, Robinson discusses the additional work she has to do at two hospitals in the state to maintain her hospital admitting privileges. She notes that if the state requires abortion providers to have such privileges to provide care, she will be the only abortion provider in the state. Robinson also shares that she was indicted as part of a federal investigation into a pharmacy that sold her clinic some materials. Noting that her legal team "could find no other person [who] was indicted for purchasing from [the pharmacy]," Robinson says she believes the indictment was a form of "harassment related to the fact that [she] was an abortion provider." The case was eventually dismissed.
Despite these challenges, Robinson notes that her patients are "proud they have a physician who can take care of them ... with all of their needs" (Porter, New York Times, 6/16).
