Despite Roe v. Wade legalizing abortion at the federal level, the restrictions enacted in the states—from requiring (and denying) admitting privileges for doctors; constraints in insurance coverage; mandatory waiting periods; erroneous restrictions on clinics forcing them to close their doors and more—is where the power over reproductive rights has long resided.
Tag: Planned Parenthood
Is Violence the Last Gasp of the Patriarchy?
A year ago, we watched in horror as a howling mob that was 86 percent male and 93 percent white launched a vicious attack on the Capitol. This year, I wondered why no one was connecting the dots between this insurrection, the probable demise of Roe v. Wade, and lack of action to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment—all of which fuel the pervasive gender gap in power, pay and leadership roles.
While I would like to think that the violence we witnessed on January 6 signaled (again) the last gasps of the patriarchy, my time fighting for reproductive rights has shown me otherwise.
Online Abortion Provider and ‘Activist Physician’ Michele Gomez Is Expanding Early Abortion Options Into Primary Care
As we await the fate of Roe v. Wade, Ms. will spotlight the wide range of new telemedicine abortion providers springing up across the country in response to the recent removal of longstanding FDA restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone.
“It’s easy to target Planned Parenthood, but much harder to target every primary care office in the country,” said Dr. Michele Gomez, a self-proclaimed “activist physician” supporting fellow doctors who want to offer abortions as part of primary care.
Online Abortion Providers Cindy Adam and Lauren Dubey of Choix: “We’re Really Excited About the Future of Abortion Care”
A range of telemedicine abortion providers are springing up in the U.S. in response to the removal of FDA restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone—like Cindy Adam and Lauren Dubey, nurse practitioners and owners of Choix, a virtual clinic offering asynchronous telemedicine abortion services to people in California, Colorado and Illinois.
“It feels really cool that I can do this on a day-to-day basis,” Dubey said. “Cindy and I are at the forefront of telemedicine abortion, teaching other people how to do it, helping more people to do it and exposing the world to this new type of care. It is incredibly fulfilling, not just being an abortion provider and not just doing it via telehealth, but being at the forefront of abortion care in a new way.”
Telemedicine Abortion Provider Dr. Deborah Oyer Supports Patient Autonomy and Control: “No Different Than When They’re in Clinic”
A range of telemedicine abortion providers are springing up in the U.S. in response to the removal of FDA restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone. Meet one provider: Dr. Deborah Oyer, the medical director of Cedar River Clinics, who has seen a 79 percent increase of medication abortion since adding telemedicine abortion, versus in-clinic only before COVID.
“I cannot begin to put into words the honor and privilege of being an abortion provider. People let me into their lives in the most intimate way. In some ways, there is a little more intimacy doing a telemedicine abortion right now versus an in-person one, because I actually get to see their unmasked faces.”
Knoxville Planned Parenthood Clinic Burned Down by Anti-Abortion Extremists: “A Huge Loss for the Community”
On New Year’s Eve, anti-abortion extremists burned down the Planned Parenthood clinic in Knoxville, Tenn., the organization’s only branch in East Tennessee. Fire department officials confirmed Thursday the cause of the fire was intentional arson. No suspects are yet in custody.
This is just one example of increasing violence against abortion providers. Anti-abortion extremists are no doubt feeling emboldened by the unconstitutional six-week abortion ban in Texas (in effect for over four months) as well as a likely ruling against abortion rights in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
Rest in Power: Sarah Weddington, Feminist Attorney and Champion of Roe v. Wade
On Jan. 22, 2022, we mark the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States. The case was argued by a 26-year-old female lawyer from Texas: Sarah Weddington, in her first appearance before the Court. Female lawyers were so rare in those days that the Supreme Court lawyers lounge didn’t even have a ladies’ room. There were no female judges; Weddington faced a wall of older white men.
Almost five decades after the decision, Sarah Weddington died at her home in Austin on Dec. 26, 2021, at age 76, after a period of declining health. Rest in power, Sarah Weddington.
How to ‘Intention’ a Feminist World: Ringing in the New Year with Leadership Icon Gloria Feldt
For years, Gloria Feldt has focused on women’s leadership—and as we flip the calendar to 2022, her resolve is stronger than ever. I decided to find out more about her insights into women and power.
“One of the hardest things is to shift our focus from battling negative power reactively to embracing our positive power to implement change proactively and set our own agenda in a disciplined way.”
Wide Majority of Americans Approve of Roe v. Wade and Disapprove of New Texas Abortion Law
Sixty percent of Americans believe the Supreme Court should uphold its 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which established the constitutional right to abortion. Just 27 percent believe it should be overturned.
In the run-up to oral arguments on Dec. 1 in the Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, a Gallup poll shows Supreme Court approval at 40 percent—the lowest number recorded since the poll first started tracking this question in August of 2000.
How I Survived My Pregnancy Loss with No Doctor, No Health Insurance and Nowhere to Go
It’s the day of the ultrasound. Maybe everything will be okay now. Scrutinizing the screen, the technician shows me the baby, but then mumbles, “Where’s the heartbeat?” before rushing out the door. We sit there confused. Someone finally ushers us into another room. A nurse comes in and says, “I’m sorry.”
In the waiting room, we’re bonded together in a sisterhood few can understand. Whether it’s from loss or relief, we’re a mass of emotions, the air is thick with it. I’m sure others are as weathered and battered as I am.