New York City now providing free abortion pills

New York City residents can now get abortion pills free of charge. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Wednesday was set to begin dispensing the pills, which work as an alternative to surgical abortions, at a health clinic in the Bronx.

Additional clinics in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens will also provide free abortion drugs by year-end, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The move is part of his "New York City Women's Health Agenda," which aims to make the city's health care offerings more inclusive of women and girls.

"For too long, health and health care has been centered around men. If men had periods, pap smears and menopause, they would get a paid vacation. And if men could get pregnant, we wouldn't see Congress trying to pass laws restricting abortion," Adams said in a press conference on Tuesday.