Doctor Converts 31-Foot RV Into Mobile Gynecology Clinic for Underserved Communities

Dr. Mary Fariba Afsari, a Portland-based OB-GYN, left her traditional medical practice to convert a 31-foot recreational vehicle into one of the country's few mobile gynecology clinics. She parks the clinic in communities with limited healthcare access, serving undocumented families and people who lost reproductive care options after the 2022 Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade.

Afsari spent 15 years as a board-certified OB-GYN in a traditional practice before leaving to launch the mobile clinic around 2021. She taught herself to drive the RV and equipped it with medical equipment, including a gynecology table she initially attempted to fit into a Mini Cooper. The clinic now serves patients in areas where reproductive healthcare has become scarce or unavailable.

The decision to shift her practice came from recognizing gaps in care long before the Dobbs decision. Afsari noted in an April 9, 2026 interview on NPR's Fresh Air that implicit racism in the healthcare system had already left certain communities underserved, even when abortion was legal under Roe v. Wade. She anticipated that reproductive access restrictions would expand these disparities further.

Current conditions have intensified the need for her work. Thirteen states now have total abortion bans, and 35 percent of U.S. counties are classified as maternity care deserts with few or no OB-GYN services. Afsari's mobile clinic addresses this gap by bringing gynecological care directly to vulnerable populations, including survivors of medical trauma and people without other healthcare options.

Afsari's personal history shaped her commitment to reproductive healthcare. She is named after her grandmother, Mehri, whom she never met. Mehri died attempting an illegal abortion in Iran, leaving behind four young children. This family loss became central to Afsari's career trajectory and her decision to prioritize access to comprehensive reproductive care.

Context

The Dobbs decision in June 2022 eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion, immediately triggering abortion bans in multiple states. Prior to that ruling, reproductive healthcare access was already unequal across the country. Research has documented that women in rural areas and communities of color faced longer travel distances to abortion providers and gynecological services, even when abortion was legal nationwide.

The shortage of OB-GYNs has worsened since Dobbs. Physicians have left states with restrictive abortion laws due to concerns about legal liability and the inability to provide full reproductive care. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has reported that maternal mortality rates have risen in recent years, with Black women facing disproportionately higher risks than white women.

Afsari's approach reflects a broader response among healthcare providers to fill gaps left by legal restrictions and provider shortages. Her new book, "Labor: One Woman's Work," published in April 2026, documents her experience operating the mobile clinic and examines reproductive healthcare in post-Dobbs America through both professional and personal lenses, including her Iranian heritage and her family's immigration history.

What's Next

Afsari's work with the mobile clinic will likely continue to serve as a model for alternative reproductive healthcare delivery in states with limited access. However, the sustainability of such operations depends on funding, legal protections for providers, and whether additional physicians adopt similar mobile or underground clinic models.