WUNC: “Overman is one of around 40 practicing abortion doulas in North Carolina, according to an estimate from local abortion rights groups — a number that could soon grow. North Carolina groups that train doulas say they’ve seen an uptick in people wanting to become abortion doulas in the months since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Every three months, Carolina Abortion Fund offers free online classes for aspiring abortion doulas. Those sessions used to have 20 signups at most, according to board member Kat Lewis. Now they have 40.
“It’s word of mouth. It’s people sharing ‘This is how I got through my abortion or miscarriage experience with the help of a doula.’ And someone being like, ‘That’s amazing. I need that. Or I wanna become that,” Lewis says.
Demand for training has also surged at the Mountain Area Abortion Doula Collective in western North Carolina, which started in 2019. Ash Williams leads the free, four-week doula training and includes talks on gender-inclusive language and the history of medical racism. The course also includes ways to support clients struggling with homelessness or domestic violence.”