This past summer, Alecia Ott was considering selling her old van. She didn’t really use it, and it took up a lot of space. But then she had an idea. “After working in reproductive health and sex education for about 17 years, I found myself taking stock of the knowledge and skills I’ve accumulated,” Ott tells Pittsburgh City Paper. “So, I decided to try turning my van into a little roving distro of sorts.”
Now, Ott drives the cleverly-named Autonomous Body Shop around the city. Offering free condoms, Plan B, pregnancy tests, Narcan, and informational zines, and decorated with an enormous flag that reads “we will aid and abet abortion,” it’s a very visible and unabashed resource.
Some of her contraception and pregnancy tests came from national organizations with donation programs. But Ott says many local reproductive justice and harm reduction organizing groups were enthusiastic about her project and helped connect her with supplies.
“I was able to get Narcan, fentanyl, and xylazine test strips, and more from Unity Recovery, an amazing organization on the South Side of Pittsburgh,” she shares. “Local groups like [Filler Distro] have helped with printing zines.”
From collaborating with others to stock her van, to the art taped on the passenger window that says “abortion access is a community responsibility,” Ott wants to make it clear that reproductive freedom really does take a village.
“The van exists to support bodily autonomy, but I also want to emphasize the importance of community care and being there for each other when the need arises,” she says. “I want this project to empower people to be sources of information, supplies, and care for their friend groups and communities.”
The van has made stops at music festivals, craft markets, a tattoo fundraiser, a movie screening, and the University of Pittsburgh. Ott partnered with the Pittsburgh Abortion Access Network, a student-led group working to expand reproductive healthcare on campus, to visit Pitt. Alexa Pierce, one of the group’s founders, says the response from students was overwhelming — the van ran out of emergency contraception before the event ended.
“At first, it seemed like students were hesitant to approach the van, but as others broke the ice and we began talking to them, more stopped by,” Pierce tells City Paper. “At some point, there must have been 15-20 students crowded around the van at once.”
Ott remembers a mother and child at a different event. As they approached the van, the child asked what it was about. “The mom said something along the lines of ‘This is information about being in charge of your own body,’ and I found that to be such a succinct way of describing it,” Ott says.
And that’s what it’s really about — not only sharing information, but giving community members the tools and the encouragement to tell their own stories about their own bodies.
Ott has a history of combining her activism with modes of transportation—she organized motorcycle rides for reproductive freedom and sailed with Women on Waves, an Amsterdam-based group that delivers contraception and the abortion pill to countries where abortion is illegal.
The American Medical Association defines crisis pregnancy centers as “legal but unethical.” They pose as medical clinics, with an ulterior motive to dissuade pregnant people — especially young and low-income individuals — from considering abortion.
Their manipulation tactics are so well-known that talk show host John Oliver did a segment mocking CPCs with his own “Vanned Parenthood” vehicle. In Pennsylvania, crisis pregnancy centers outnumber abortion clinics 9:1. According to the CPC Map, there are eight in Pittsburgh compared to its two abortion clinics.
Alexa Pierce says that local CPCs deliberately advertise near her campus. “We know that CPCs spread misinformation, and having the van visit Pitt combats their presence and threats to young people,” Pierce tells CP.
“Sex education for students is already lacking," Pierce says. "Having community partners like Alecia who can meet college students where they’re at helps mitigate that potential confusion regarding reproductive healthcare.”
Ott says that, with all the stigma that exists, one mission of the van is to urge people to be loud and proud about supporting reproductive freedom. In addition to free contraception, Ott hands out stickers and buttons. After her visit to Pitt’s campus, they could be seen on students’ water bottles and laptops.
“I think it’s important to provide folks with ways to be visible in their support of abortion,” Ott argues. “It’s a sign that you’re a safe person to talk to, and it normalizes a very common and safe component of healthcare.”
Ott’s next goals include stocking the van with menstrual hygiene products and making more stops across Pittsburgh to connect with community members. She’s in the process of planning events with other local groups, including women in STEM and trans-rights activists.
“I'm excited about the opportunities for creative collaboration with people and organizations who don't necessarily tackle abortion access, but are mission-aligned,” she says. “The possibilities are there for scheming and dreaming together!”
