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Eight women had serious pregnancy complications. Now they’re suing over state abortion bans.
Women and physicians in Idaho and Tennessee have sued their home states after they say they were denied abortion care despite being diagnosed with serious, life-threatening medical conditions while pregnant. The lawsuits are led by the Center for Reproductive Rights, an advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., which also helped a patient in Oklahoma file […]
Male anti-abortion religious leaders mull murder charges for pregnant people at national event
An all-male panel of anti-abortion religious leaders from around the country met last week to discuss the strategies that should be used to end abortion in every state at any stage of pregnancy, without exceptions for rape and incest, and with criminal punishment for the pregnant person in line with existing criminal penalties for murder, […]
FDA approves first over-the-counter oral contraceptive
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday it has approved the country’s first daily birth control pill that can be used without a prescription, a move that reproductive health advocates celebrated after more than 20 years of advocating for an over-the-counter option. The contraceptive, called Opill, is a progestin-only oral pill that could soon become available […]
Study shows sharp increases in maternal deaths over two decades
A study from the University of Washington released Monday shows maternal mortality rates more than doubled in some states between 1999 and 2019, with sharp increases for some racial and ethnic groups. Researchers touted it as the first study to provide such maternal mortality calculations for every state. Previous reports have not included rates for […]
Echoing history, reliance upon travel rises for abortion care post-Dobbs
When the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Dobbs decision one year ago, people of childbearing age in states across the country suddenly faced what seemed like a new prospect — having to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles from home to get an abortion. But historians say it is merely continuing a long tradition […]
Her fetus had 1% chance of survival. Idaho’s ban forced her to travel for an abortion.
Jennifer Adkins’ first pregnancy was near-perfect. She sailed through her appointments and screenings with no complications, ticking every box and making lists of all the right questions to ask her medical professionals. By the time her unmedicated labor was over and the nurses placed her newborn son on her chest, Adkins felt like a superhero. […]
Viable male birth control options could be on the horizon
Heather Vahdat has been advocating for male contraceptive options for nearly a decade, but she is the first to say it is a lonely space to occupy in the health science field. Vahdat is the executive director of the Male Contraceptive Initiative, based in Durham, North Carolina, which has been working with a single donor […]
Report: Deaths among pregnant women in Idaho more than doubled in 2020
Idaho women who died from pregnancy-related problems doubled between 2019 and 2020, according to the latest Maternal Mortality Review Committee report published Friday by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. The review committee, which includes obstetricians, nurses, midwives, medical examiners and other professionals from across Idaho, identified 11 maternal deaths in 2020. That’s up […]
Idaho seeks to dismiss Satanic Temple abortion lawsuit, says a suit requires a pregnant woman
Attorneys representing the state of Idaho have asked a court to dismiss a lawsuit from the Satanic Temple over Idaho’s abortion laws, saying the organization lacks standing to pursue the case and refuting its legal arguments. The Satanic Temple filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court of the District of Idaho at the end of […]
Bill prohibiting public drag performances to be introduced in upcoming Idaho legislative session
A bill that would ban drag performances in all public venues will be introduced in the first days of the next session of the Idaho Legislature in January, Idaho Family Policy Center President Blaine Conzatti told the Idaho Capital Sun. Conzatti and other conservative activists around Idaho and across the country have protested against events in public spaces that feature drag […]
Satanic Temple files lawsuit over Idaho abortion laws
Idaho faces another challenge to its abortion bans in federal court, but this time from the Satanic Temple, which argues the state’s abortion laws are unconstitutional violations of property rights, the equal protection clause, religious freedom and involuntary servitude. The religious association filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court last week, along with a similar […]
Organization runs ads in Idaho college town to promote birth control, abortion access
Digital billboards are traveling around Moscow for the next week with various messages from a national nonprofit about reproductive health. “Be conservative. Use birth control.” “Pregnant? You still have a choice.” “They don’t want you to know this. You can still get abortion pills by mail.” One particular advertisement displays a picture of Russian President […]