Desert Star Institute for Family Planning in Phoenix, Arizona, continues to provide abortion care and gender-affirming services amid recent legal developments. On 6 February, an Arizona judge struck down state laws that mandated patients receive an ultrasound and wait at least a day before an abortion. This change reportedly led to an initial increase in clients at the clinic.
Dr DeShawn Taylor, founder and CEO of Desert Star Institute, leads the only Black woman-run abortion clinic in the state. The clinic also employs a staff of women of colour and serves a diverse clientele.
Beyond abortion services, the clinic offers wellness exams, routine gynaecological check-ups, and birth control. For the past six years, it has also provided gender-affirming hormone therapy.
Following the 2022 overturning of the constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy, Arizona initially placed restrictions on abortions. However, Arizona voters later enshrined the right to abortion in the state constitution.