Reproductive rights

Alabama passes IVF protections while red states still push ‘personhood’ abortion laws

All but six state legislatures are now in session, and abortion-related bills continue to be introduced, especially in states where the procedure is already banned. It can be hard to monitor them all, so States Newsroom’s Reproductive Rights Today team will track certain bills that could become law in their respective states in a biweekly legislative roundup.
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State legislators aim to restrict abortion pills, ‘trafficking’ next in states with bans

More than half of state legislatures across the country started their 2024 legislative sessions in January, and plenty of abortion-related bills have already been introduced, especially in states where the procedure is already banned. It can be hard to monitor them all, so States Newsroom’s Reproductive Rights Today team will track certain bills that could become law in their respective states in a bi-weekly legislative roundup. Depending on the partisan makeup of a state’s legislature and other state government officials, some bills have a higher chance of passing and becoming law than others.
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Tennessee’s strict abortion ban is under pressure, but change is unlikely under GOP control

"After begrudgingly agreeing to tweak Tennessee's strict abortion ban last year, the Republican-dominant Legislature is once again facing pressure to reconsider when doctors can legally offer the procedure to pregnant patients. The push comes as confusion and fear continues among residents in many GOP-controlled states over how abortion ban exemptions should be applied. While a handful of lawsuits have been filed with the hopes of getting clarity in state courts, others are pursuing legislative changes...."
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In states with abortion bans, rape exceptions ‘fail to provide reasonable access’ to survivors, researchers say

"Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and removed federal protections on abortion rights in 2022, over a dozen states have enacted total bans on abortion. Now, new research suggests only a small fraction of people who become pregnant through rape are able to obtain a legal abortion in those states, including those with exceptions in place for such scenarios. After analyzing multiple datasets, researchers estimated that between July 2022 and January 2024, nearly 65,000 people became pregnant through rape in the 14 states that have total abortion bans, according to a research letter published this week in the journal JAMA…
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Advocates propose amending Montana Constitution to guarantee abortion rights

 "If advocates are successful, Montana voters may have a chance next year to decide whether access to abortion should be specifically protected in the state constitution. A proposed constitutional amendment, backed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana, would add language to the Montana Constitution, establishing “a right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion.”..."
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Abortions rose 5% in year before Roe was overturned: CDC

"The number of abortions in the U.S. increased 5% the year before Roe v. Wade was overturned, with women in their 20s accounting for nearly 6 in 10 of the procedures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Wednesday. Why it matters: The 2021 data from CDC's annual abortion incidence report track with earlier research showing demand for abortions was trending upward before the Supreme Court struck down federal protection of the procedure. 53% of procedures that year were medication abortions — and use of abortion pills at or before nine weeks of gestation rose 3% from 2020 to 2021...."
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Misinformation is flowing ahead of Ohio abortion vote. Some is coming from a legislative website

The inflammatory language targeting a reproductive rights measure on Ohio’s fall ballot is the type of messaging that is common in the closing weeks of a highly contested initiative campaign — warning of “abortion on demand” or “dismemberment of fully conscious children” if voters approve it.
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‘We can win this battle:’ Evanston residents, politicians rally for abortion rights

Poet and dancer Sunshine Lombré shared a spoken word piece about reproductive rights and sexual violence to a crowd of listeners dressed in pink at Evanston’s Pro-Choice Rally and March on Sunday. Lombré emphasized that most cases of sexual assault go unreported, which contributes to minimized statistics about abortions as a result of sexual violence.
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As Mexico expands abortion access, activists support reproductive rights at U.S. border

TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) — It’s Sunday night and Crystal P. Lira is not answering her messages. Inside the headquarters of Colectiva Bloodys y Projects, an organization that has supported reproductive rights near the U.S.-Mexico border since 2016, her only concern is for the woman she has provided with a safe space to get an abortion.
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In Argentina, election fight brews over women’s rights and abortion

 "Argentina's presidential election race is putting abortion access and women's rights in the spotlight, sparking fierce debate in a country that has been a pioneer in expanding reproductive rights in Latin America. The election frontrunner, economist Javier Milei, opposes abortion and wants to hold a referendum on whether the 2020 legalization of abortion before the 14th week of pregnancy should be repealed. He also wants to shut the ministry of women, gender and diversity, which he has called a type of "affirmative action" that is degrading towards women. His closest contenders are economy minister Sergio Massa for the incumbent Peronists and…
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Thousands of women march in Latin American cities calling for abortion rights

"The streets of cities across Latin America were bathed in green Thursday as tens of thousands of women marched to commemorate International Safe Abortion Day. Latin American feminists have spent decades fighting to roll back strict prohibitions, although there are still few countries with a total ban, like El Salvador and Dominican Republic..."
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Evidence-based politics:  WHO and the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF) sign Memorandum of Understanding

"Mobilizing political will and working to ensure all people can achieve the highest standards of sexual and reproductive health and rights. The World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Special Research Programme HRP and the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the bridge between science and policy to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights for all. 'Sexual and reproductive health and rights are a cornerstone for better health and must be an integral part of policies, laws and budgets governing universal health coverage,' said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO…
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