New Mexico sets up hotline for women seeking abortions

SANTA FE, New Mexico (KVIA) -- New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is setting up a new hotline for women seeking an abortion. It will help patients find and connect with abortion clinics by providing transportation and other help.

The hotline can be reached at (833)-767-3776. The number is already live, however, Lujan Grisham warns her administration is still trying to build it out.

The registered nurses who will staff the hotline are employed by the New Mexico Department of Health. Their salaries will be funded by already existing resources, according to the Governor's office.

New Mexico has become an abortion hub since the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year. In 2021, New Mexico providers reported completing 4,900 abortions. That number jumped to 11,000 in 2022. So far in 2023, doctors have performed 5,300 abortions in the state.

19 abortion providers are currently operating in New Mexico, with six offering surgical abortions. The others only offer medical abortions, according to the state.