Part II: The state of the abortion debate 50 years after Caviar

Guest

The abortion debate has changed dramatically in the seven months since the Supreme Court overturned Rowe vs. Wade and his nationwide right to abortion. Nearly half of the states have banned or restricted the procedure, even as the public at the ballot box continues to show support for abortion rights.

In this special two-part podcast, recorded during the week of the 50th anniversary of the decision in Rowe vs. Wadea panel of experts delves into the fight, the sometimes unintended side effects, and each side’s plans for 2023.

This week’s panelists are KHN’s Julie Rovner, Politico’s Alice Miranda Allstein, CQ Roll Call’s Sandya Raman, and KHN’s Sarah Varney.

Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:

• Exceptions to state abortion bans came into question shortly after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Caviarwith the nationwide debate surrounding the case of a 10-year-old girl from Ohio who was forced to leave the state to have an abortion when, as a rape victim, she should have been able to have an abortion in her home state.
• Restrictions in many states have caused problems for women who have had miscarriages as healthcare professionals fear the repercussions of providing care — whether that means malpractice impacting their medical licenses or insurance coverage, or even criminal charges. There have been no reports of doctors being charged yet.
• A Texas Christian father has won a lawsuit against the federal government that is preventing state Title X family planning clinics from dispensing birth control to minors without parental consent. This change poses a particular problem for rural areas, where there may not be another place to purchase contraceptives, and other states may follow suit. The Title X program has long required clinics to serve minors without informing their parents.
• Major opponents of abortion rely on misinformation to advance their goals, including inaccurate claims that contraceptives are dangerous.
• Medical abortion is the next target of anti-abortion opponents. In recent months, the FDA has significantly eased restrictions on “abortion pills,” but only in states where abortion remains available. Some opponents are being creative, citing environmental laws to claim, without any evidence, that abortion pills can pollute the water supply.
• Restrictions also pose challenges for maternity care professionals, the effects of which may linger for decades to come. Some of the worst-performing maternal health states also have abortion bans, forcing medical professionals to rethink how and where they train and practice.
• Looking ahead, there is a state and local battle between anti-abortion opponents over what to do next. Some lawmakers who voted for state bans are expressing an interest in at least a partial repeal, while other opponents insist that the bans remain unchanged. With Congress divided, the federal government’s spending decisions may get the most attention from those seeking change in national policy.

And as additional praise, panellists recommend their most memorable reproductive health stories from the past year:

Julia Rovner: NPR “Texas Abortion Law Made Her Wanted Pregnancy a Medical Nightmare” by Carrie Feibel

Alice Miranda Allstein: New York Times Magazine article “She wasn’t ready for kids. The judge didn’t let her have an abortion.” Lizzy Presser

Sandhya Raman: “We Need to Defend This Law” ProPublica: Inside an Anti-Abortion Meeting with Tennessee GOP Lawmakers, by Kavita Surana

Sara Varney: Science Friday and KHN, “Why Contraceptive Failure Rates Matter in Post-Caviar America,” by Sarah Varney.

Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:

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