Mabel Wadsworth Center

11/20/2025

EqualityMaine hit the nail on the head!

11/18/2025

Mabel's is honored to be featured in this article alongside our friends at Maine Family Planning, and honored to provide our full range of services, including gender-affirming care and primary care, to our trans community!

While we are still able to provide primary care at Mabel Wadsworth Center, we are heartbroken on behalf of MFP and the folks they serve that they were forced to end that essential care due to the federal government playing politics with people's lives and health. Our staff understand firsthand how hard it can be to find a primary care provider you feel safe with, especially in rural areas.

"Trans folks are everywhere," Ruhlin added. "We have always been everwhere."

Read the full article at the link below!

https://www.centralmaine.com/2025/11/17/aroostook-county-loses-trans-friendly-primary-care/?uuid=4cd2d474-1e79-482c-8c7c-5baabb3e4253&lid=196270

11/14/2025

We're having a great time at the Penobscot Parenting Expo! Swing on by at 128 Texas Ave in Bangor for resources for parents and soon to be parents from a multitude of fantastic community organizations.

(And shout out as always to AIDS Healthcare Foundation for the condoms to distribute to our community, pictured here in the cute pink heart bowl!)

11/13/2025

We're teaming up with the Cancer Network to share the OUT: The Community Survey! Why? Because data about our health and our lives is essential for shaping research and policy to improve our lives. The federal government stopped collecting essential LGBTQI+ health data, but that isn't going to make Q+ folks go away or stop caring for their health and community.

If you're 15 or older and a member of the Q+ community (or you work with folks who are), you can take this confidential survey below! Questions? Reach out to our Community Engagement Manager Aspen at ruhlin@mabelwadsworth.org.

https://csbsutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9WyKRPONJuL67Yy?org=MabelWadsworth

11/13/2025

We're still so excited not only about the opportunity for a member of our staff to have been in conversation with feminist giants, but also to work with other indie clinics in the fight for care across borders. You can join the fight and the movement by donating to all 9 indie clinics involved at the link below!

"The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day; a movement is only people moving.” — Gloria Steinem

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/careacrossborders

11/12/2025

Join us and our friends at Maine Family Planning, SAFE Maine, Maine Doula Coalition, and Coastal Recovery Community Center (our lovely event hosts) for Shifting Access to Reproductive Healthcare in the Midcoast in Rockland on Dec 3rd from 5:30pm-7:30pm!

At this info session and community resource fair, you'll have the opportunity to learn about ongoing changes to healthcare access, including Medicaid, and engage with local community orgs. Refreshments will be provided at this family friendly event, and there will be a kids' craft corner!

Registration at the link below is encouraged but not required--we'd love to know if you're coming, but we'll be glad to see you regardless.

https://secure.everyaction.com/3wZn6jln_E6gvg6Ba3AtAg2

11/12/2025

Today, we say loud and proud!

There are so many options for birth control/contraception that have their own benefits. Barrier methods like condoms help prevent STI transmission while hormonal options can help manage period cramps, make periods lighter, or even safely stop your period altogether (menstruation cessation). One thing that unites them all? It's in the name--pregnancy prevention!

All of the benefits of birth control are worthy of celebration, even if our society is weird about pregnancy prevention and the fact that it's totally normal for people to have s*x for pleasure.

Not all birth control options are the right fit for everyone for a multitude of reasons, and that's part of why it's so important to have different options available. We also know that nothing works perfectly, contraception included, so whether you're in need of contraception, abortion, or prenatal care, Mabel's has you covered! You can call our office to schedule an appointment at 207-947-5337 or send an email to info@mabelwadsworth.org.

11/10/2025

We love starting the week with good news!

The Supreme Court will not revisit its landmark decision that legalized same-s*x marriage nationwide after rejecting a case brought by a former county clerk who was jailed for contempt after refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-s*x couples: http://www.newscentermaine.com/article/syndication/associatedpress/supreme-court-rejects-call-to-overturn-its-decision-legalizing-same-s*x-marriage-nationwide/616-6cf11f8c-b8a0-4dd5-ba06-19f97ca1f2bb?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_NEWS_CENTER_Maine

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

11/10/2025

From one indie clinic to another, we're passing the phone to the people keeping care alive across borders.

Together, were building a futue where everyone, everywhere can access the care they need, because care should never stop at a state line 💜

Join the movement and donate today (in our bio) to support Care Across Borders and these nine indie clinics sustaining abortion, gender-affirming, and harm-reduction care across the country!

(And yes, we did snag this from our friends at because technology is...something)

11/06/2025

We're looking for a new Office Assistant to join the Mabel's team! Check out the link below to learn more about the position and how to apply.

https://www.mabelwadsworth.org/get-involved/join-our-team/employment/

11/06/2025

Those who were able to join us for our Annual Dinner and Silent Auction in October know that our Community Engagement Manager Aspen was honored with an invitation to a Talking Circle hosted by Gloria Steinem at her home (yes, that Gloria Steinem) at the end of October. This Talking Circle featured leadership from nine independent abortion clinics across the country and abortion and Reproductive Justice advocates, including Loretta J. Ross. Together, we shared the joys and challenges of providing essential care to our communities and across borders as more abortion-seekers are forced to cross state lines to access the care they need.

"Being in that space with so many feminist giants--not just Gloria and Loretta but also the spectrum of amazing people fighting for abortion across the country--was beyond invigorating and inspiring. Indie clinics like Mabel's don't just provide the majority of abortion care in the US; indie clinics are centers of care and compassion dedicated to autonomy for all. Regardless of the miles between us, we are connected by the joys and challenges of providing this essential, normal care. The biggest challenge that came up again and again was money. Between rising costs of everything and a federal government that is openly hostile to the work we do and the people we care for, finances are tight for all of us, putting the work we do in jeopardy." -Aspen Ruhlin, they/them, Community Engagement Manager

Guided by Gloria Steinem’s conviction that hope is a form of planning, we gathered last week in her home for a Talking Circle — a powerful discussion on protecting care, restoring dignity, and charting a collective path forward for reproductive freedom.

Hosted by the Women’s Health Centers of West Virginia & Maryland, the Talking Circle fostered conversation, connection, and strategy. Together, we shared stories of resilience and the deep community roots that sustain and align us, as feminist-founded, women-led, independent organizations committed to care, courage, and collective action.

As key voices in the movement, we reflected on what’s working — and what’s not — amid the challenges of a second Trump administration. Now, we’re turning that conversation into action.

Donate today to strengthen independent clinics, protect care without borders, and help us build the future our communities deserve — one where access to care is a right for all, not a privilege for some.

“The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day; a movement is only people moving.”— Gloria Steinem

Your gift today keeps this movement alive.

You can donate at our joint fundraiser (linked below!) to support all nine of the independent clinics that came together for this Talking Circle. We are stronger together!

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/careacrossborders

11/05/2025

Hey, folks! Just a reminder that Mabel Wadsworth Center is a scent-free office, and we ask that those coming in not wear strong perfumes, colognes, or other scents. This is for the health and comfort of both staff and our other patients with allergies. Thank you for your understanding!