January 1, WATCH: California Doctor Pitches Floating Abortion Clinic to Bypass Bans

A doctor from California is floating the idea of a buoyant abortion clinic in the Gulf of Mexico as a way to bypass bans in southern states.

Dr. Meg Autry, an obstetrician and gynecologist, told The Associated Press that her idea is to provide a clinic aboard a ship in federal waters, where state laws don’t apply.

“There’s been an assault on reproductive rights in our country and I’m a lifelong advocate for reproductive health and choice. We have to create options and be thoughtful and creative to help people in restrictive states get the health care they deserve,” said Autry, a professor at the University of California San Francisco.

Autry said the clinic would offer first trimester surgical abortions, contraception, and other care.

“This is closer and faster access for some people, particularly for working people that live in the southernmost part of these states,” she told the outlet.

Autry said they’re still in the fundraising stage through the non-profit organization PRROWESS (Protecting Reproductive Rights Of Women Endangered by State Statutes).

Many details are still in the works, as well, Autry said, including where the boat would launch and how women would get there.