Background: Reproductive justice organization SisterLove, Inc. and Emory University partnered to study barriers to medication abortion (MA) among Black and Latinx communities in metro-Atlanta.

Methods: Qualitative data from 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with abortion providers and community-based organization leaders were analyzed using the Sort, Sift, Think, Shift protocol for thematic analysis.

Results: Emerging themes include: intersectional barriers due to racism/ethnocentrism, sexism, and poverty; lack of awareness/knowledge of MA due to stigma; mistrust of MA due to histories of eugenics and scientific exploitation; inequitable abortion policy effects; and strategies for integrating MA education/services into existing community-based programs.

Discussion: Findings suggest that Black and Latinx communities experience undue, unjust burdens when accessing MA services in the Southeast. This may help explain Georgia’s high unintended birth and maternal and infant mortality rates and disparities. Barriers to MA for marginalized groups may be better understood and effectively addressed through community-research-clinic collaborations.