The Supreme Court's majority is expected to end the right to have an abortion nationwide. While the fight for reproductive rights will continue in courts and capitals, this is an opportunity for startups and tech to play an important role in keeping abortion safe, convenient and private.
Private companies are the only ones capable of doing what needs to be done on short notice, the government is a lost cause, large corporations are equivocating, and the medical and insurance establishment will simply follow the money.
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You can open an app and get almost anything delivered to you the same day. Plan C, Hey Jane, and others are web-based services that do this. That is great. If you search for abortion on the app store, you will get sexual health tracking and clinic-listing apps. The process of checking your prescriptions should be as easy as this one.
It's not that apps are necessary for this, but we're at the point where health care of all kinds is being digitized from end to end and apps are potentially the most convenient and secure way of doing that. This opportunity should be embraced in all aspects of healthcare.
What rules will it break and how will the new laws apply? Will it be allowed on the store? Is it possible that we will be able to use Google? Will payment providers be willing to give up their state-by-state permission for cannabis? I hope someone will say "damn the torpedoes" and just go for it.
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Companies large and small are outsourcing their benefits processes to other companies that provide them. Will those companies step up to the plate and make abortion care, and cover the costs of leaving the state to get it, part of their standard offering?
This may require a new or improved layer connecting benefits companies with providers of contraceptive care of all kinds. Depending on states and incoming laws, costs and methods will be different. It is more likely that large corporate customers will opt in because of front-loading that work.
This should be provided to all employees, including those in the hourly and contractor categories. People without job security or other benefits are vulnerable and need this form of support more than others. We all know you can afford it.
Legal consequences or even actual charges for people seeking or providing care are included in some states' measures against abortions. Being threatened will have a chilling effect on many people.
The process of automated contesting of tickets and other legal disputes has begun to make money for some startups. If, as seems likely given the shaky, ad-hoc status of these anti-abortion laws, there is a standard method of responding to and defanging these legal threats, an app or simple online process like those used to contest parking fines would be a great use of resources.
This is similar to the app for finding abortion services in that it is free and easy to use, but people in the position of choosing between an unwanted pregnancy and charges from the state often lack resources and this process must accommodate that.
Prospective workers are likely to ask if an employer will cover the cost of abortion care for at least a few years. It will save everyone a lot of grief if that information is made available ahead of time. It will likely be necessary to have a third party track this information since most companies don't want to be seen as taking a political stance.
For reproductive care, transparency is as important as any other condition of work. Companies might decide to be more public about what they offer if their policies are leaked.
The influence of venture capital funds is huge. A commitment from some of the major ones to back reproductive health startups would be helpful in creating a community of confidence around this sector.
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Sex tech may be considered along the lines of health tech by some funds and groups. It's wrong and indicative of a worldview that doesn't match up well with a company looking to change how we approach contraception and reproductive health. The board member pressuring you to go in a different direction is not something you want.
When an investor or board member is also investing or advising something that is antithetical to your mission and ideals, it is a disaster. It is not about establishing political compliance but choosing people to back you who share your values and priorities.
Every aspect of our lives is tracked and recorded by companies like Meta and Amazon so they can better target us for products and services. It isn't illegal in any state to find and receive treatment for diabetes or an STD. The last thing we need is for authorities to demand up to date lists of citizens who have asked for directions to abortion clinics, searched for and visited care providers, and other strong indicators of a conspiracy to get an abortion.
We need strong assurances from leadership in the tech world that abortion will not be a targetable or tracked item to be mixed in with the 500 other sensitive categories that advertisers and others can buy and peruse. I don't think we can convince data brokers to do what they say they'll do, so in the meantime, minimize your attack surface with some quick changes to settings and preferences.
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Some companies care more about tax benefits than about taking part in a community that reflects their values. Don't compromise your ethics for a sweetheart deal.
There are lots of places in this country where a startup can make a home and not have to pay high rents. It may be cheap to shift to a state like Texas or Florida, but what does it mean for the future of recruiting the best in the industry? Many of the advantages of large and diverse states are being overbalanced by policies that are more concerned with political posturing than the welfare of their citizens.
In the new office-free world, it may be that you don't really have an office at all. In that case, the advice is to hire people where they are, but to support them so that they have the resources they need.
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There will be pressure by state authorities to limit or remove discussion, promotion or offers of abortion care on platforms like Facebook, Tiktok, even maps. The pressure must not be loosened. It would be forward thinking to expand access rather than limit it, since companies like Apple and Google have enough power to defy such requests.
If someone asks for directions to an abortion clinic, give them it. Let it be if #shoutyourabortion is popular. If the top app is for abortion pills, keep it. Sexual and reproductive health is being restricted in the real world, but in the online platforms we use should be kept free from the zealotry and censorship currently ascendant in many states.
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