This Week in Abortion - September 2
This newsletter is a collection of abortion-related reads and events from the week curated by me, Rachel Leven.
If you can only read two articles this week, I suggest embracing some gray in your life with the first two Good Reads.
Good Reads:
A few weeks ago I shared an article covering the growth of at-home abortions in the US. This article from a right-leaning publication in the UK (where there is widespread access to pills) covers some of the potential pitfalls of this growth, including increased emergency calls likely due to panic over the physical effects of the medicine.
A view from the anti-camp on the definition of viability.
This article is an insightful reminder that your ESG fund might have a stance on abortion. (Only yours though, I hide all my money in potted plants.)
A short piece from Georgia about how pharmacists are responding to abortion bans and the effect on patients who suffer miscarriages or have conditions unrelated to pregnancy.
Events in the News
The South Carolina House approved a total abortion ban with exceptions added at the last minute for the health of the mother and up to 12 weeks in cases of rape. With Republicans holding 60% of SC senate seats, it's likely the bill will pass. For those interested, the parliamentary maneuvering was quite something. Democrats basically said "fuck you" and joined conservatives in an attempt to prevent the exemptions from being added and keep the bill as restrictive as possible.
Gov Pritzker confirmed that legislation to expand access is unlikely to get taken up until the IL legislature returns to its regular session next spring.
California passed legislation allowing trained Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse-Midwives to perform abortions without supervision by a doctor. This is not necessarily cutting edge. For example, Illinois passed legislation in 2019, that should have done the same thing, but according to Planned Parenthood didn't quite get to the goal.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination noted its concern regarding the restriction of abortion access in the United States. See the Report.
Spain has a new expansive sexual and reproductive health law.
Legal Round-Up:
A federal court ruled that three California churches no longer have to cover abortion services as part of their employee healthcare plans.