Tag: Abortion Access

Abortion is an essential healthcare service. Abortion access is varied across the world and throughout the United States due to anti-abortion legislation. Access is often dependent on social factors such as income, race, geographic region and citizenship status.

Abortion Pill Revolution: CVS and Walgreens Now Selling Abortion Pills, While Telehealth Abortion Soars

Two developments are significantly increasing access to abortion pills, which have been available for over two decades but highly restricted until recently:

(1.) On March 1, CVS and Walgreens announced they will begin dispensing abortion pills at brick-and-mortar pharmacies in some states, with a promise to expand to more states soon.

(2.) Meanwhile, the Society of Family Planning released its #WeCount report showing that telehealth abortion—where patients consult remotely with a provider, who then mails abortion pills to them—has increased to 16 percent of all abortions.

Spring 2024 Sneak Peek: Let Women Die?

In the latest print issue of Ms., reporter Belle Taylor-McGhee digs into a pending Supreme Court case brought by the Justice Department against Idaho on behalf of patients who need care at hospital emergency rooms due to pregnancy complications, arguing that the state’s law banning abortion at all stages of pregnancy violates the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA. The Supreme Court’s decision, expected in June or July, will determine the fate of women suffering potentially fatal pregnancy complications and will have life-or-death ramifications for women in any state with extreme abortion bans in place.

Here’s some of what else you’ll find within the pages of the upcoming Spring 2024 issue of Ms. magazine: how to mobilize men in service of progressive, liberal and feminist ideals; the importance of the ongoing battle against gerrymandering; Dr. Sima Samar on the status of women in Afghanistan, and more.

Join the Ms. community today and you’ll get issues delivered straight to your mailbox!

Why Menstrual Literacy Is Needed for a Working Democracy

According to Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, author and a leading advocate for menstrual equity in the U.S. (and executive director of partnerships and strategy for Ms.), the issue is inextricably tied to clashes over abortion and education. Trump’s statement makes the all too common assumption that weeks of pregnancy equates to time available to obtain an abortion. However, a 16-week pregnancy does not mean a person has been allowed four months to obtain an abortion. 

The Case for Safe Abortions for Refugee Women

On the eve of International Women’s Day, President Biden will deliver his State of the Union address. Kate Cox, a Texas woman denied access to abortion to terminate an unviable pregnancy that threatened her health, will attend as First Lady Jill Biden’s guest. Cox was able to travel to another state to access a safe abortion. While she should never have been put in that position in the first place, thankfully, she was able to get care.

Globally, options for women who are refugees are often significantly more limited. That’s why Congress must provide increased funding for international family planning programs, without any new restrictions.

Senate Democrats Challenge Republicans With Wednesday Vote to Protect IVF

and

Senate Democrats on Tuesday highlighted their plan to protect IVF, warning their Republican colleagues they will need to decide by Wednesday whether to block a bill that would preserve access to assisted reproductive technologies.

“It’s been incredible to watch Republicans now scramble over the weekend to suddenly support IVF—well, many of these same Republicans are literally right now co-sponsors of legislation that would enshrine fetal personhood, the very concept that caused all of the chaos in Alabama,” said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, an original co-sponsor of Duckworth’s Access to Family Building Act.

In Congress, meanwhile, Democrats’ bill that would protect IVF access nationally has received only a single Republican co-sponsor in the House and none in the Senate. 

Your Top Questions on Abortion and Birth Control, Broken Down

Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, CEO of nonprofit Power to Decide and practicing OB-GYN, is dedicated to educating people on abortion and the healthcare options that come with it. #AskDrRaegan provides candid, judgment-free sexual health information to young people by meeting them where they are: on social media.

Check out TikTok users’ top questions on abortion and birth control, answered by Dr. Raegan.

Healthcare Across Borders: Funding Telemedicine Abortion for People in Abortion-Ban States

“You can get on the phone with a doctor, and get abortion pills by mail within a few days,” said Healthcare Across Borders (HCAB) founder Jodi Jacobson—even in states with abortion bans.

HCAB has launched a new Abortion Pill Sustainability Fund to support shield-state clinicians serving patients in states banning abortion. Abortion services are provided to people located in states banning abortion from the six states with telemedicine provider shield laws: Massachusetts, Washington, Colorado, Vermont, New York and California.