Pat – REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ALERTS

05 Jun

After feds say hospitals don’t have to perform emergency abortions, more confusion for patients and doctors

PatLatest NewsEmergency abortion ban, Hospital, Trump, United States

President Trump’s administration is telling hospitals that they don’t have to perform abortions for patients in emergencies, rolling back the guidance issued under Biden’s administration.

30 May

How Abortion Laws Focusing on Fetal Viability Miss the Mark on Women’s Experiences

PatLatest NewsAbortion Care, Abortion Rights, Fetal Viability, Reproductive rights, United States

During the 2024 presidential campaign, politicians and their surrogates repeatedly raised concerns about abortion later in pregnancy. The topic grabbed media attention and continues to inspire strong emotions, but most of the discussions include numerous misunderstandings.

30 May

America might finally make childbirth free

PatLatest Newschildbirth, Reproductive rights

As politicians grapple with declining birth rates, the financial burden of giving birth in America — where privately insured families face out-of-pocket costs of nearly $3,000 on average — has captured widespread attention. Last month, when news broke that the Trump administration was considering $5,000 baby bonuses for new parents, comedian Taylor Tomlinson captured the national frustration: “That’s like spritzing a volcano with a water gun.” A recent viral TikTok showing one mother’s $44,000 hospital bill shocked viewers worldwide, underscoring the uniquely brutal pressures facing American families.

29 May

After CDC cuts, doctors fear women will lose access to contraception research

PatLatest NewsCenters for Disease Control, Contraception, Scientific Research, Trump Administration, United States, Woman's Health

To most people, the eight-person team was indistinguishable from the hundreds of other scientists and researchers cut in April during the mass firings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But for many clinicians who specialize in women’s health, losing the team responsible for the CDC’s contraception guidelines was a devastating blow to women’s health.

29 May

Shrinking health services put mothers and newborns at risk in Za’atari Refugee Camp, warns the IRC

PatLatest NewsHealthcare, International, Reproductive rights, Women's Health

As the world reflected on the International Day of Action for Women’s Health yesterday, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is calling attention to the alarming strain on maternal and newborn health services in Za’atari Refugee Camp. With a quarter of the camp’s 70,000 residents being women of reproductive age, a funding crisis is threatening access to essential care for thousands of mothers and newborns.

22 May

ACLU Responds to House Passage of Reconciliation Bill that Cuts Medicaid, Harming Millions of People with Disabilities

PatLatest NewsGOP, legislation, Medicaid, People With Disabilities, Reproductive rights, United States

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed H.R. 1, the so-called One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, that attacks civil liberties and cuts Medicaid by at least $600 billion, the largest cut in the program’s history. The reconciliation bill now moves to the Senate.

22 May

More access, less cost: Spanberger lays out health care plans if she wins Virginia governorship

PatLatest NewsBodily Autonomy, Healthcare, Reproductive rights, United States, Virginia, Vote

While Abigail Spanberger’s former congressional colleagues stayed up late Tuesday night debating proposed cuts to Medicaid in a jumbo GOP bill to reduce federal spending, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee outlined her health care-focused plans if she becomes Virginia’s next governor Wednesday morning at a local independent pharmacy in Mechanicsville.

21 May

Her miscarriage showed the limits of California’s abortion protections. Where you live matters

PatLatest NewsAnti-abortion, California, Catholic Hospitals, Healthcare, Reproductive rights

Anna Nusslock never wanted to be the face of a new kind of reproductive rights battle in California, but when a small Catholic hospital refused to provide an abortion that would end her miscarriage, Nusslock girded herself for a long and difficult conflict.

21 May

House GOP Moves to Repeal FACE Act Days After Clinic Bombing

PatLatest NewsAnti-abortion, Clinics, GOP, legislation, Reproductive rights, United States

Today, the House Judiciary Committee is holding a markup on a slate of bills, including one from Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, that would repeal the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. This critical law protects patients and providers from violence, threats, and obstruction at reproductive health facilities.

11 May

Late Abortions Are Rare. the US Just Lost a Clinic That Offered the Procedure for Over 50 Years

PatLatest NewsAbortion Care, Abortion Rights, Colorado, Healthcare, Reproductive rights

To fellow travelers, Hannah Brehm likely looked like she was taking a belated babymoon well into her third trimester. But she and her husband had received a crushing diagnosis: Their baby's brain was not developing properly, upending their wanted pregnancy. Medical experts warned moving forward would likely mean her son would know only pain and suffering. The Minnesota couple wasn't going to take that chance.

10 May

Liver disease in pregnancy linked to higher risk of preterm birth

PatLatest NewsHealthcare, Pregnancy risks, Reproductive rights

Pregnant women with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) have an increased risk of giving birth prematurely and the risk increase cannot be explained by obesity, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal eClinicalMedicine.

02 May

Abortion seekers need more support under Trump administration, Colorado advocates say

PatLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Healthcare, Reproductive rights, United States

Abortion advocates and providers in Colorado feel increased pressure under the Trump administration to support people seeking abortions from Colorado and surrounding states with restrictions.

02 May

The Women’s Health Initiative has shaped women’s health for over 30 years, but its future is uncertain

PatLatest NewsHealthcare, NIH, Reproductive rights, Science, Trump, United States, Women's Health

Women make up more than 50% of the population, yet before the 1990s they were largely excluded from health and medical research studies. To try to help correct this imbalance, in 1991 the National Institutes of Health launched a massive, long-term study called the Women’s Health Initiative, which is still running today. It is the largest, longest and most comprehensive study on women’s health ever conducted in the U.S. It also is one of the most productive studies in history, with more than 2,400 published scientific papers in leading medical journals.

01 May

Commentary: Act now to shield New Yorkers’ reproductive health data

PatLatest NewsHealthcare, legislation, New York, Opinion, Reproductive rights, United States

Celeste Burgess, the Nebraska teenager found guilty of violating her state’s abortion laws, never expected that her private Facebook messages with her mother would be used as evidence in court. The messages revealed how she ordered abortion pills online and planned to conceal the pregnancy termination. The prosecution served Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, with a search warrant to hand over the messages.

01 May

Virtual Abortion Care Is a Lifeline, Not a Safety Net

PatLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Healthcare, Reproductive rights, Telemedicine, United States

New data from the Guttmacher Institute shows that more people are turning to virtual abortion care—and while that tidbit might sound like a silver lining in our post-Roe world, it can be dangerously misleading if we’re not careful.