United States – Page 28 – REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ALERTS

15 May

The number of births continues to fall, despite abortion bans

PatLatest NewsAbortion Ban, Birth Rate, legislation, North Dakota, Tennessee, United States

Births continued a historic slide in all but two states last year, making it clear that a brief post-pandemic uptick in the nation’s birth numbers was all about planned pregnancies that had been delayed temporarily by COVID-19. Only Tennessee and North Dakota had small increases in births from 2022 to 2023, according to a Stateline analysis of provisional federal data on births. In California, births dropped by 5%, or nearly 20,000, for the year. And as is the case in most other states, there will be repercussions now and later for schools and the workforce, said Hans Johnson, a senior fellow…

14 May

Medical residents are increasingly avoiding states with abortion restrictions

AlanLatest NewsAAMC, Abortion Care, Association of American Medical Colleges, Healthcare, Medical Deserts, United States

The AAMC analysis found the number of applicants to OB-GYN residency programs in abortion ban states dropped by 6.7%, compared with a 0.4% increase in states where abortion remains legal. For internal medicine, the drop observed in abortion ban states was over five times as much as in states where abortion is legal. In its analysis, the AAMC said an ongoing decline in interest in ban states among new doctors ultimately “may negatively affect access to care in those states.”

14 May

Telehealth abortions now account for nearly 1 in 5 in US, with thousands accessed under shield laws each month, report says

AlanLatest NewsAbortion Care, Healthcare, mifepristone, Telehealth, United States

Most abortions in the United States are medication abortions, and telehealth has become an increasingly common way to access abortion pills — especially since the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision revoked the federal right to an abortion. In the last few months of 2023, nearly 1 in 5 abortions nationwide — about 17,000 each month — were medication abortions in which the pills were mailed to a patient after a remote consultation with a clinician, according to a new report from #WeCount, a research project led by the Society of Family Planning. When #WeCount started collecting data from abortion providers in April…

13 May

Legislation boosts Maryland’s rating with LGBTQ+ policy tracking think tank

BarbraLatest NewsLGBTQIA+, Maryland, United States

While the 2024 session was a bit more understated on new legislative protections for Maryland’s LGBTQ+ population compared to previous years, a nationwide policy tracker reports that the state is creating a more LGBTQ+ friendly state based off recent legislation. The Movement Advancement Project (MAP) follows the ever-changing policy landscape across the United States and how it affects the nation’s LGBTQ+ population. The independent, nonprofit think tank regularly updates a policy map to indicate which states the group deems safer for LGBTQ+ individuals and which have more hostile policies. According to a recent update from the organization, the legislation passed…

11 May

Religious views on abortion more diverse than they may appear in U.S. political debateOne year after FDA approves over-the-counter birth control pill, advocates push for more access

PatLatest NewsAbortion Care, Christianity, Evangelical, Healthcare, Religion, United States

New research shows that though abortion restrictions are often championed by evangelical lawmakers and activists, other Christian denominations and Abrahamic faiths hold a variety of views on the issue.

10 May

One year after FDA approves over-the-counter birth control pill, advocates push for more access

PatLatest NewsAccess, Contraception, FDA, Healthcare, United States

More than 100 countries were already selling birth control without a prescription before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — one year ago as of Thursday — approved Opill. Though the hormonal, over-the-counter birth control pill was approved in May 2023, it didn’t reach online retailers or the shelves of major drug stores across the country until a couple of months ago.

09 May

Arizona’s now-repealed abortion ban cautionary tale for reproductive health care across US

PatLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Arizona, Opinion Piece, United States

When the Arizona Supreme Court ruled on April 9, 2024, that the state’s Civil War-era law banning nearly all abortions was enforceable, it brought into stark reality the potential impacts of leaving reproductive rights up to the states to regulate, and the related consequences for women’s health. The ruling, set to go into effect in late June 2024, will only remain active for a few months because Arizona lawmakers repealed the law on April 30. Starting in the fall, a previous state law banning abortion after 15 weeks will be reinstated.

09 May

Medical residents are starting to avoid states with abortion bans, data shows

BarbraLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Abortion Rights States, Physicians, State Abortion Bans, travel, United States

Isabella Rosario Blum was wrapping up medical school and considering residency programs to become a family practice physician when she got some frank advice: If she wanted to be trained to provide abortions, she shouldn't stay in Arizona. Blum turned to programs mostly in states where abortion access — and, by extension, abortion training — is likely to remain protected, like California, Colorado and New Mexico. Arizona has enacted a law banning most abortions after 15 weeks.

08 May

Arizona Abortion Ban: Warning for US Reproductive Health Care

AlanLatest NewsAbortion Ban, Abortion Rights, Arizona, Healthcare, legislation, States, United States

When the Arizona Supreme Court ruled on April 9, 2024, that the state's Civil War-era law banning nearly all abortions was enforceable, it brought into stark reality the potential impacts of leaving reproductive rights up to the states to regulate, and the related consequences for women's health. The ruling, set to go into effect in late June 2024, will only remain active for a few months because Arizona lawmakers repealed the law on April 30. Starting in the fall, a previous state law banning abortion after 15 weeks will be reinstated.

06 May

First Quarter 2024 State Policy Trends: An Evolving Focus of Attacks on Abortion, Youth Access, IVF and More

BarbraLatest NewsAbortion Ban, Abortion Care, Abortion Rights, United States, Unwanted Pregnancies

This legislative session has coincided with state court decisions that have had a major impact on abortion access in key states, most notably in Florida and Arizona. Since the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in June 2022, Florida has become a key access point in the region for abortion care. Guttmacher’s Monthly Abortion Provision Study data demonstrated a major increase in out-of-state patients receiving care in Florida: 3,700 more patients from other states obtained an abortion in Florida in the first half of 2023 than in a similar period in 2020. However, on April 1, 2024, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of…

05 May

Commentary: In the fight for reproductive rights, no one can save us but ourselves

AlanLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Florida, Opinion, United States

Mayday! Mayday! As of midnight on May 1, Florida’s dangerous new six-week abortion ban is the law — effectively banning all abortion care in our state and causing doctors, patients and freedom-loving Floridians everywhere to elevate our calls for the passage of Amendment 4 so that we may enshrine abortion rights in the Florida Constitution.

04 May

After Roe, the network of people who help others get abortions see themselves as ‘the underground’

TobysFundLatest News, United StatesAbortion Aftercare Kits, Abortion Ban, Abortion Care, Abortion Pills, Abortion Rights, Healthcare, Idaho, legislation, Roe v Wade, The underground, travel, United States

Waiting in a long post office line with the latest shipment of “abortion aftercare kits,” Kimra Luna got a text. A woman who’d taken abortion pills three weeks earlier was worried about bleeding — and disclosing the cause to a doctor.

03 May

State abortion bans more frequently affect Black, White, American Indian women

PatLatest NewsAbortion Ban, Healthcare, State Abortion Bans, United States

White, Black, and American Indian / Alaskan Native women of reproductive age may be more adversely affected by statewide abortion bans than other racial and ethnic groups, according to new data.

02 May

In ‘The Unexpected,’ Emily Oster tackles the emotional toll of difficult pregnancies

PatLatest NewsHealthcare, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, United States

Economist Emily Oster made a name for herself using data to tackle big questions about pregnancy in her 2013 blockbuster book Expecting Better. Now, she's returning to the topic with a book on how to navigate difficult pregnancies and serious medical issues.

30 Apr

1 in 4 U.S. Women Will Have an Abortion in Their Lifetime

BarbraLatest NewsAbortion, Healthcare, United States

As the battle over abortion continues to rage in the courts and American politics, a new report estimates that one in every four U.S. women will undergo the procedure during their lifetime. The study was issued by the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization focused on sexual and reproductive health that supports access to abortion.