A recent report has uncovered that a youth collective affiliated with Advocates for Youth hosted a two-day in-person “Abortion Support Training” at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in November, explicitly open to participants as young as 14 years old.
The event was organized by the Youth Abortion Support Collective (YouthASC), a nationwide network of young people under the umbrella of Advocates for Youth.
The training aimed to teach attendees the tools, resources, and skills needed for “abortion support” work, including how to become an “abortion doula,” companion, or support person.
According to the official event invitation, the training was described as follows:
“This training is for young people ages 14-24 and will provide an introduction to the tools, resources, and skills for abortion support work. We welcome anyone who is interested in becoming an abortion doula, companion, and/or support person. The training will center youth-led abortion support efforts, specifically for high school and college students, but we will also discuss how to offer support as community members and continue advocacy after leaving campus.”
The invitation further explained the role of an “abortion doula” using a definition from Dopo, the partner organization that helped develop the curriculum:
“Anyone that can physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually hold space for someone before, during, and/or after abortion.”
The program covered clinical and non-clinical settings for procedural and medical abortions, as well as strategies for organizing campus communities to build networks.
The training was promoted as part of a broader national effort by YouthASC to make “abortion doula” training accessible to activists aged 14–24. Advocates for Youth has run similar youth-focused programs, including multi-week online series and in-person sessions at other campuses.
The group has also hosted panels on “abortion funding for minors, challenges young people face in accessing care, and the state of abortion access in our region.”
Hellbound and Down 