How the abortion rights landscape changed in 2024

As I’ve reported for Salon this year, the direct and indirect effects of abortion bans and restrictions impact far more than just people who can get pregnant. From putting pressure on care in states where abortion remains accessible to inflicting trauma and grief on those who are forced to travel to access care, here’s how … Read more

Republicans don’t care if women die from abortion bans – but they don’t want you to know about it

This censorship effort doesn’t just impact the data about abortion ban-related deaths, either. Before 2022, both Texas and Georgia had some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country. There’s been an eye-popping 56% rise in pregnancy-related deaths in Texas over the past few years. Anyone who actually cared about women or “life” would want … Read more

The Texas Ob-Gyn Exodus

But the new laws were already having an effect on the health-care system. Across Texas, residency applications in ob-gyn dropped significantly. Data from the Gender Equity Policy Institute revealed a fifty-six-per-cent spike in maternal deaths in the state between 2019 and 2022. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Texas was no longer an … Read more

Premature births remain high in the United States

Premature births in the U.S. remain at an all-time high, the March of Dimes reports About 370,000 babies were born at 37 weeks’ gestation or earlier last year, according to the report. Preemies are often at higher risk for physical or intellectual disabilities. The problem is particularly troublesome in areas of the country without doctors, … Read more

A Pregnant Teenager Died After Trying to Get Care in Three Visits to Texas Emergency Rooms

It took three ER visits and 20 hours before a hospital admitted Nevaeh Crain, 18, as her condition worsened. Doctors insisted on two ultrasounds to confirm “fetal demise.” She’s one of at least two Texas women who died under the state’s abortion ban. Read more at ProPublica  

Harris pushing abortion rights as the winning issue in campaign’s final stretch

“Donald Trump is responsible for the end of Roe v. Wade and continues to brag about it, saying that abortion bans are a ‘beautiful thing,’” said Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All. “Don’t pay attention to what Donald Trump says, but what he’s done. If he is elected in November, he will … Read more

Beyoncé and Michelle Obama speak on behalf of Harris, and make stark warnings about the threats to reproductive rights and health from Trump

Beyoncé brings star power to Harris rally in Texas with abortion law in the spotlight Ondrea Cummings, a Texas woman who appeared in a new Harris campaign, became emotional as she shared her harrowing experience after a miscarriage at 16 weeks and needing an emergency abortion that she was denied under the state’s law. A … Read more

Many state abortion bans include exceptions for rape. How often are they granted?

One study estimates that over 64,000 pregnancies have occurred due to rape in the years since the ruling in states where abortion is banned. But many people on the front lines of this issue say getting an abortion in these states after an assault is difficult or — in some cases — impossible. Read more … Read more

Missouri voters could undo their state’s abortion ban. Making abortion accessible is a different story.

But even if the measure passes, abortion will likely remain limited in the immediate and near future, thanks to that complex maze of anti-abortion restrictions that chipped away at abortion availability for so many years. ….. The fear she felt — the one that left her unable to tell her doctor or trust a hospital … Read more

There’s No Coming Back From Dobbs

Recent legal fights in Ohio provide a glimpse of how even sweeping abortion protections don’t automatically undo the effects of restrictions, and could lead to new ones. Last year, Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment enshrining the right to an abortion. But pro-abortion-rights advocates in the state are still fighting to throw out the state’s … Read more