REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ALERTS – Page 2 – Updated daily. A service of Toby's Fund for Reproductive Health Equity

06 Jan

More Iranian women forced into illegal abortions

MollyInternational, Latest NewsIllegal abortions, Iran, reproductive health care restrictions, Restricted abortion access

"Although Iranian authorities have widely restricted access to abortion in an attempt to reverse demographic decline, more women are going outside the law to end unwanted pregnancies. According to figures from the Iranian Ministry of Health reported by the Khabaronline news website in June 2024, over 600,000 illegal abortions are performed annually in Iran. Experts say poverty, joblessness, and lack of social security are contributing factors forcing women to undergo an abortion despite serious risks...."

06 Jan

Quebec launches action plan to improve access to abortion, protect women’s right to choose

MollyInternationalAbortion Access, Abortion Care, action plan, Canada, Healthcare, Quebec, Right to choose

"Quebec has introduced its first-ever action plan aimed at improving access to abortion in the province and reaffirming women's right to choose, particularly in light of the setbacks to reproductive rights unfolding in the United States. Martine Biron, minister responsible for the status of women, announced the Plan d'action gouvernemental sur l'accès à l'avortement 2024-2027 on Monday, saying this plan responds to women's concerns about the protection of their rights...."

05 Jan

Muslim Advocates Ramp Up the Fight for Reproductive Justice

AlanLatest NewsHealthcare, Muslim, Reproductive rights

Despite the importance, Munifasa’s experience navigating societal silence on reproductive health, including motherhood, is common. Many Muslim Americans struggle to find spaces for dialogue and to make informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health — a need that the Muslim-led national organization Health, Education, Advocacy, Research and Training, or HEART, is working to fill with culturally resonant and honest information. As the country continues to wrestle over the legal landscape of reproductive rights, HEART hones in on nurturing reproductive justice by building safe environments for Muslims to have and raise children — or to make the informed decision not…

04 Jan

Florida doctor faces $10,000 fine in abortion case

MollyLatest News, United StatesAbortion Care, Abortion case, Board of Medicine, doctor, fine, Florida, Healthcare, United States

"After the state Department of Health called for revoking the doctor's license, the Florida Board of Medicine this week issued a final order imposing a $10,000 fine and reprimanding a physician who did not comply in 2022 with a law requiring 24-hour waiting periods before abortions can be performed. The order came after the board decided last month to approve penalties for physician Candace Sue Cooley that were less severe than what the Department of Health wanted...."

03 Jan

Some states on track to restore abortion access, while others push for fetal rights in 2025

BarbraLatest NewsHealthcare, Reproductive rights, United States

Heading into third year since Roe v. Wade was overturned, states will consider legislation to expand or restrict access to reproductive health care, abortion

02 Jan

Protecting reproductive health data: state laws against geofencing

BarbraLatest Newsgender affirming care, Post-Dobbs, Reproductive rights

Although many of these laws protect individuals' access to abortion and gender-affirming care services states have also identified the need to safeguard individually identifiable health data, including reproductive health data, from use by law enforcement or third-party companies.

01 Jan

Protections for Reproductive Health Decision-Making in Illinois Take Effect January 1

BarbraLatest NewsHealthcare, Illinois, Reproductive rights

Illinois continues to lead the country in strengthening reproductive rights. A law that takes effect January 1st prohibits discrimination based on a person’s reproductive health decisions, including fertility care and abortion.

31 Dec

Liberia launches the Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition Policy 2024-2031 (RMNCAH+N) and the Child Survival Strategy (CSS)

BarbraLatest NewsInternational, Liberia, Maternal & Child Health, WHO

In a bold step towards accelerating the reduction of maternal and child mortalities, the Government of Liberia in partnership with UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners, launched a comprehensive RMNCAH+N seven-year policy and the Child Survival Strategy and action plan.

31 Dec

Trump’s second term leaves abortion providers and harbor states in uncharted territory

BarbraLatest NewsAbortion Care, Abortion Rights, Healthcare, Reproductive rights, United States

Since the Supreme Court overturned federally-mandated nationwide abortion access in the 2022 Dobbs decision, states have been enacting ever-tightening restrictions on access to reproductive healthcare.

30 Dec

Alarming rise in number of newborn babies abandoned in Texas unsettles towns and sparks urgent concern for women’s health care

BarbraLatest NewsAbandoned Babies, Abortin Ban, Post-Dobbs, Texas

The shocking rise in the number of newborn babies found abandoned in Texas has unnerved communities, raising urgent questions about women's reproductive health. At least 18 babies have been abandoned in the Lone Star state this year, with the latest found just before Christmas at a Whataburger fast food chain in San Antonio, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

30 Dec

New insights into prevalence and risk factors of anemia among women of reproductive age in China

BarbraLatest NewsAnemia, China, Healthcare, International, Reproductive care

Anemia significantly impacts global public health, with over 571 million women at risk of adverse health outcomes due to iron deficiency and other causes. This nationwide, population-based study in China aims to estimate the prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age, explore geographic variations, and investigate the association between anemia and metabolic factors, particularly overweight and obesity. The study utilizes data from the Meinian Healthcare Group system, providing insights into the epidemiological characteristics of anemia and contributing to the development of targeted intervention strategies.

29 Dec

Faith in Action: The Red Tent Fund and the Fight for Reproductive Justice

BarbraLatest NewsAbortion Care, Healthcare, National Council of Jewish Women, NCJW, Reproductive rights, United States

More than half of women of reproductive age enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP live in states that ban assistance coverage for abortion, with very rare exceptions. And about half of those women are women of color. That is according to the National Council of Jewish Women. At a recent event for the local chapter of NCJW, Allison Tombros Korman, founder of The Red Tent Fund, assisting those who need care is a fundamental Jewish value. “For me, Tikkun Olam needs to be more than just repairing a broken world. It needs to be about being proactive in preventing those things…

28 Dec

Abortions are up in the US. It’s a complicated picture as women turn to pills, travel

BarbraLatest NewsAbortion Care, Abortion Pills, Healthcare, Reproductive rights, travel, United States

Even with abortion bans in place in most Republican-controlled states, the number of people obtaining them has grown slightly

27 Dec

Reproductive health newsmakers included pregnant women, judges and anti-abortion activists in 2024

BarbraLatest NewsAbortion Ban, Healthcare, Pregnancy, Reproductive rights, travel, United States

Galvanized by a pivotal election almost two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections, patients, doctors, and activists in 2024 fought for renewed and expanded reproductive rights, while others pushed for more restrictions. These are some of the people and organizations that had an impact on reproductive health law and abortion access this year.

26 Dec

New Law Expands Reproductive Rights

BarbraLatest News2025, Illinois, Reproductive rights

Protections for Reproductive Health Decision-Making Take Effect January 1 CHICAGO - Illinois continues to lead the country in strengthening reproductive rights. A law that takes effect January 1st prohibits discrimination based on a person's reproductive health decisions, including fertility care and abortion.