Legal information

Know Your Rights

Practical legal information for navigating reproductive healthcare decisions. This page covers your rights around travel, privacy, and law enforcement — and a digital safety checklist to protect your information.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Laws change quickly. For your specific situation, contact the ACLU or a reproductive rights attorney.

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Need help urgently?

National Abortion Federation Hotline: 1-800-772-9100 — funding, referrals, logistics.
Repro Legal Defense Fund — if you face legal risk.

If you need help now

Your legal rights

Privacy & security

Digital Safety Checklist

Steps you can take to protect your privacy when researching or accessing healthcare. Check them off as you go — your progress is saved in this tab only.

Before you search

Use a private/incognito browser window

Prevents local browser history. Still use a VPN for full protection.

Use a VPN or Tor browser

Hides your searches from your ISP and network provider.

Avoid your home or work Wi-Fi if possible

Use mobile data or a public network you don't pay for.

Don't use a work or school device

Employers can monitor activity on devices they own.

Your phone & apps

Delete or pause period tracking apps

Apps like Clue and Flo store menstrual data that could be subpoenaed. Consider Drip instead — it stores data locally only.

Disable location services for sensitive apps

Turn off location for Maps, Google, social apps before and during travel.

Turn off Google/Apple location history

Google Maps Timeline and Apple Significant Locations log everywhere you go.

Disable auto-backup of photos to cloud

Photos with GPS metadata can reveal location. Disable iCloud Photos or Google Photos sync temporarily.

Use Signal for sensitive conversations

Signal has minimal metadata and supports disappearing messages. Standard SMS and iMessage are not encrypted end-to-end in all cases.

Payments & records

Pay in cash where possible

Credit/debit card transactions create a paper trail that can be subpoenaed.

Consider a prepaid debit card for travel

Buy with cash. Reduces linkage between you and healthcare spending.

Use a separate email for healthcare inquiries

Create a new account using a VPN. ProtonMail offers end-to-end encryption.

Know your HIPAA rights

Providers cannot share your medical records without consent in most circumstances. Request a copy of your records directly.

Travel

Tell only trusted people where you're going

Limit who knows your destination and itinerary.

Be aware of license plate readers

Automated systems track vehicles at state lines and near clinics in some areas.

Consider airplane mode during travel

Prevents cell tower pinging that creates a location record.

Out-of-state care is currently protected

Federal courts have upheld the right to travel for healthcare. Interstate travel for abortion is legal as of now.

Resources for more information: ACLU Reproductive Rights · Center for Reproductive Rights · Repro Legal Defense Fund · EFF Digital Privacy Guide