"We save lives."

In this episode, Marva Sadler talks about her path to working in abortion care, what keeps her going to work every day, and reflects how her own abortion experience has shaped how she provides abortion care.

Marva has worked with Whole Woman's Health for 13 years and in abortion healthcare for over 16 years. She was born in Detroit, and, since the age of three, raised and educated in Waco, Texas. Marva's passion for women's reproductive healthcare began on her first day of work in abortion care in 2005, when she was greeted by two abortion protestors. She believes that these people simply can not win. They convinced Marva that she had to fight for the rights of women. As an abortion provider in Texas, Marva is proud to have been an active part of the continued fight against the State of Texas' outrageous HB2 legislation and, currently, SB8. Marva has also served on the Faith Aloud Board of Directors. Marva is married and is a mother of five sons, one daughter, and one puppy, Marley.

This episode was made in collaboration with Abortion Care Network (ACN) and was recorded at their 2020 annual conference. ACN is a nonprofit membership organization for independent abortion clinics. Independent clinics — like Whole Women's Health, where Marva Sadler works — provide the majority of abortion care in the U.S. ACN provides the staff of those clinics with support, training, and resources.

(Published on November 8, 2021 | Interviewer: Melissa Madera | Location: Louisville, KY)

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"My ancestors are always with me."

In this episode, Oriaku Njoku talks about her path to becoming a reproductive justice leader, abortion advocate, and abortion funder in the Southeast. She shares her experience of doing this work as a Black Queer Femme in the South, and the importance of doing the work of abortion funding in and for community. She also discusses why she always brings fun, love, and joy into the workplace every day, and what it means to create a cultural shift around abortion in the South.

This episode was made in collaboration with the Abortion Care Network (ACN) and was recorded at their 2019 annual conference. ACN is a national association for independent community-based, abortion clinics and their allies. Abortion funds like Access Reproductive Care - Southeast, where Oriaku Njoku is the Co-Founder and Co-Director, supports people in accessing abortion care through funding, practical support, and advocacy.

Oriaku Njoku (she/they), is a first-generation, Black, Igbo, Nigerian-American, queer, fat, Southern femme living and loving in Atlanta, Georgia. As a Co-Founder and Co-Director of Access Reproductive Care - Southeast, she works at the intersection of abortion access and reproductive justice. She and her team at ARC-Southeast supports Southerners in navigating pathways to accessing safe, affordable, and compassionate abortion care through funding, logistics, and advocacy. Oriaku is deeply committed to finding joy and pleasure in everything she does and believes radical love is a core value that can be embodied and operationalized in movement spaces. She truly believes that we can and will create a cultural shift around how we address abortion in the South and invites you to join her in making reproductive justice a reality in our lifetimes.

"We care so much about our communities and the folks we serve."

In this episode, Leah Coplon talks about her path to becoming an abortion care provider, how abortion fits into the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health care, what it's really like in the clinic, and what it means to connect with other independent abortion care providers.

This episode was made in collaboration with Abortion Care Network (ACN) and was recorded at their 2019 annual conference. ACN is a nonprofit membership organization for independent abortion clinics. Independent clinics — like Maine Family Planning, where Leah Coplon works — provide the majority of abortion care in the U.S. ACN provides the staff of those clinics with support, training, and resources.

Leah Coplon MPH, RN is the Program Director at Maine Family Planning, overseeing abortion care and strategizing for innovative ways of reaching rural patients to increase access to abortion, contraception, and transgender health services. Leah worked as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing at the University of New England. She has practiced full-scope midwifery, worked as a labor and delivery nurse, and has been in the field of reproductive health for over 25 years. Leah received a BA in sociology/anthropology from Carleton College and her BSN from the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, she holds a Master of Science from Philadelphia University and a Master of Public Health from the University of New England and is board certified as a Nurse Midwife with the American College of Nurse Midwives.