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.
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.
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 đź’ś
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.
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!
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!
11/04/2025
Thank you to our friends at EqualityMaine and Maine Women's Lobby for making this informational post!
10/31/2025
Happy Spooky Season! For our October episode, join Aspen for a throwback to 2021 as they explore the history of witches, midwives, and where the two overlap, from the history of witch hunts that Hollywood never told you to the present realities of childbirth. Grab some candy corn, light some candles, and enjoy!
Image: Ksenia Yakovleva (via Unsplash)
Listen at our SoundCloud link below, or anywhere you enjoy podcasts!
(Psst, you can find all the citations for this episode in the caption on SoundCloud!)
10/29/2025
Our Evergreen Campaign is still going for a little over a week, and we have an exciting development! A generous Mabel's supporter has offered to match up to $3,000 in donations (over the course of a year) for new Evergreen Donors.
With this promised match, your support goes even further. To become an Evergreen Donor, simply go to our donation page (mabelwadsworth.org/donate) and sign up as a monthly donor by 11/7/25. Donors who sign up during our Evergreen Campaign will also receive the thank you gifts you've seen in our other posts!
10/27/2025
Absentee voting (and voting access generally) is a feminist issue.
2 out of 5 people in Maine rely on absentee voting to exercise their right to vote.
Vote NO on Question 1 to ensure that all eligible Mainers can vote!
10/27/2025
While Inters*x Awareness Day falls on October 26th every year, it's always a good day to raise awareness of inters*x people!
Humans do not fit into neat checkboxes, whether we're talking about height, hair texture, or s*x. While there are always folks who fall into what's considered the "standard" or "average," there are also those who fall outside of that. Variation among people is normal! Like a lot of things you learned in 7th grade, human s*x characteristics like hormones, chromosomes, and body parts are much more complex than a strict binary.
Inters*x folks are complete and whole as they are, and deserve acceptance and support. Want to learn more about inters*x folks and inters*x advocacy? Check out the link to interACT Advocates below! https://interactadvocates.org/
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Founded in 1984, Mabel Wadsworth Center is the only private, not-for-profit, independent feminist health center in Maine and one of fourteen in the United States. The Center began “from conversations around a kitchen table.” From a vision of an alternative model for women’s health care delivery and self-empowerment that is still emphasized today, the Center has grown to provide abortion care, contraception, annual exams, cancer screenings, prenatal care, hormone therapy to transgender clients, and other critical services to thousands across northern and eastern Maine. In 2016, we also began seeing people of all genders, including cisgender men, to better meet the needs of our community and demonstrate our commitment to inclusivity.
In addition to direct clinical care, our mission calls upon us to educate and advocate to challenge the root causes of inequities that affect women’s health and lives. Therefore, except for direct reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid, the organization does not accept state or federal government funding, ensuring we remain truly independent.
In the early 1980s, when President Reagan was threatening a gag rule, meaning clinics that received federal funding would not be able to even talk about abortion as an option, it became clear that there was a need for a clinic in Bangor that was free from the strings that come attached to government funding. The Center has never wavered from its decision to forego federal or state funding and this commitment remains a strong part of our values today.
Our Founders:
Sharon Barker
Ruth L. Lockhart
Terry Marley-DeRosier
Mabel Sine Wadsworth
Phil Worden
Our Mission:
To provide health care using a feminist model focused on s*xual and reproductive health through education, advocacy, and clinical services.
Our Values:
We empower people to celebrate their s*xual and reproductive lives and make informed decisions about their own bodies.
We provide compassionate, non-judgmental, client-centered care regardless of a person’s age, ability, race or ethnicity, s*xual orientation, economic resources, religion, immigration status, and gender identity or expression.
We seek to offer a gender-affirming and inclusive environment so that all people feel safe and welcome.
We neither seek nor accept government funding (other than direct reimbursements for clinical care) so we may remain independent and ensure a continued, uncensored voice in reproductive rights policy, education, and advocacy.
We advocate for meaningful access to abortion care for all people and believe that abortion care is part of the full spectrum of reproductive health care.
We strive to contribute to and engage with the broader reproductive justice movement by working to identify and lift all barriers to reproductive healthcare.
We honor the unique and diverse experiences of women’s lives as a feminist organization in Maine for the enrichment of all people.
Our Services:
Abortion Care
Annual Wellness Exams
Birth Control
Cancer Screenings
Colposcopy
Infertility Consultation
LGBTQ+ Healthcare
Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy
Men’s Health
Menopause Consultation
Mental Health Counseling
Pregnancy Testing and Options
Prenatal Care
Sexually Transmitted Infections Testing and Treatment
Vaginal Infection Testing and Treatment
Awards:
Maine Civil Liberties Union's Roger Baldwin Award (1995)
Maine Association of Social Workers Agency of the Year Award (1995)
Maine Lesbian/Gay Political Alliance Award (1998)
Maine Association of Non-Profits' Dirigo Award for Non-Profit Excellence (2009)
Maine Initiatives' Watering Can Award for Helping Feminism Flower (2012)
ACLU of Maine's Roger Baldwin Award (2016)
EqualityMaine's Community Partner Award (2017)
MaineTransNet's Brick Award for Healthcare Excellence (2019)
