For years, University of Oregon students pushed for comprehensive reproductive healthcare on campus. UHS has long been the primary point of care for many students — yet one essential service was missing: abortion. That gap has finally closed, UO plans to implement these services fall term of 2026,, marking a long‑overdue step toward meeting students’ real healthcare needs.
Students for Choice, a reproductive justice organization active at UO since the 1970s, has spent decades advocating for this moment. Club President Karlie Windle says the urgency has only grown in recent years as students faced mounting barriers to off‑campus care.
Medicated abortion is the most common method in the United States, accounting for 54% of all abortions in 2020. For many students, having this option on campus is not just convenient; it’s transformative.
Paris Snider, a third‑year advertising student, said, “I’m really happy to see it. It’s been a long time coming. I feel like UHS has been lacking in the resources that it says it provides to students, and I’m glad something is being done.”
Snider also emphasized how crucial on‑campus access is for students living in dorms. “When I was a freshman, the University Health Center was really the only place I got medical care. Now that I live off campus, it’s easier – but without reliable transportation, it’s still difficult, especially for students in dorms.”
Before this change, the nearest Planned Parenthood – five miles from campus – was inaccessible for many students without cars. And while Dove Medical, a crisis pregnancy center on East 11th Avenue, is only a 17‑minute walk, Windle notes that such centers are known for pressuring people out of abortions through misinformation and emotional manipulation. Students navigating a high‑pressure, time‑sensitive decision shouldn’t have to dodge predatory clinics on their way to legitimate care.
Why wasn’t UO providing this care? Windle claims it’s because of funding and donor backlash as well as UHS’ limited clinic hours and operational logistics like staffing and training. But ultimately, it came down to prioritization — and students made it clear what needed to be prioritized.
“Medicated abortion has been a forefront concern for Students for Choice,” Windle said.
Student organizations including Students for Choice, Young Democratic Socialists of America and ASUO rallied, petitioned and surveyed the student body to demonstrate overwhelming demand. Other universities, such as UCLA and Portland State University, already provide medication abortion and specialist referrals on campus. UO is finally catching up.
Even with medicated abortion now available, barriers remain. UO offers limited Uber vouchers for medical visits, but they don’t always cover round‑trip costs, and many students feel unsafe disclosing their destination to a driver.
UHS is closed on weekends, meaning students who discover a pregnancy on a Friday may still face delays.
Privacy is another concern — dorm living makes telehealth difficult, and while the Student Health Advisory Committee is working to create private telehealth rooms, they don’t yet exist. With PeaceHealth’s campus hospital closed, students already face a shortage of accessible medical options.
This moment is a victory, but it’s not the finish line. Access must be supported with privacy, transportation, weekend care solutions and clear communication so students know this service exists and feel safe using it.
Abortion is healthcare, and healthcare belongs on campus. Now that UO has taken this step, it must commit to making medicated abortion not just available, but accessible.
