“Nine months after the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide right to an abortion, the landscape is far from settled, with lawmakers considering broader bans or stronger protections and legal challenges popping up nationwide. It’s been a hectic week for abortion policy with Republican-dominated states seeking to tighten restrictions, Democratic lawmakers trying to protect abortion access – and court fights playing out on multiple fronts.”
“Over the course of about four hours of arguments, a federal judge in Texas asked questions that suggested he is seriously considering undoing the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a medication abortion drug and the agency’s moves to relax the rules around its use. But the judge, US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, also indicated he was thinking through scenarios in which he could keep the drug’s 2000 approval intact while blocking other FDA rules.”
“Zurawski v. Texas, a new lawsuit announced Tuesday, March 7, marks the first time patients directly affected by abortion laws have sought to challenge them in court.”
“A judge is poised to rule in a case that seeks to revoke the approval of the most common, safe and effective abortion pill regimen, with the potential for consequences to be felt in every state.”
“Governors supporting abortion rights are forming a new coalition aimed at expanding and protecting access to the procedure, according to details shared with The Health 202.”
“The future of medication abortions across the U.S.—even in states with few abortion restrictions—is on the line.”
More than 20 years ago, the FDA approved the drug mifepristone, a safe and effective pill used in medication abortions. Today, abortion pills are the most common way to terminate early pregnancy, but an unprecedented case before a federal judge in Texas threatens access to this vital medication and could have dire consequences for bodily autonomy and freedom of choice nationwide – even in states where abortion is protected.
“President Joe Biden used the word “abortion” — one he has rarely uttered in speeches —in his brief remarks on the issue in his State of the Union address on Tuesday.”
“The Biden administration is weighing additional actions to help people access abortions, which may include a public health emergency declaration.”
“A company that makes an abortion pill filed a lawsuit Wednesday morning challenging the constitutionality of a state ban on the medication, one in what is expected to be a wave of cases arguing that the federal Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the pill takes precedence over such restrictive state laws. “
Vice President of Health Justice Sinsi Hernández-Cancio was a guest on Health Care Payment Learning & Action Network’s Spotlight on Action podcast to talk about moving the health care system towards one that effectively cares for every single person in this country – with dignity, excellence and respect.
“House Republicans addressed abortion Wednesday for the first time in their new role controlling the chamber, passing two pieces of legislation with their razor-thin majority. The votes come after the reversal of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court last summer, which factored heavily into voter behavior in the November midterms, particularly in states where abortion issues were on the ballot.”
“The US Food and Drug Administration is allowing certified pharmacies to dispense the abortion medication mifepristone to people who have a prescription. Mifepristone can be used along with another medication, misoprostol, to end a pregnancy. Previously, these pills could be ordered, prescribed and dispensed only by a certified health-care provider.”
“A nurse at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in Texas sued the department Tuesday over its decision to offer abortions services in certain cases and abortion counseling to veterans, claiming the new rules violate her religious beliefs. “
“Twice as many independent abortion clinics have closed so far in 2022 compared to the year before as facilities shutteredin the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision this year to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to an association for independent abortion care providers.”
“The fight over medication abortion bills is heating up, as conservatives turn their focus to medication abortion.”
A crucial election is upon us. Early voting has begun in dozens of states, and on November 8th the American public will participate in a midterm election where abortion is on the ballot like never before. And despite attempts to pit concerns about the economy against access to abortion, the reality is that abortion is an economic issue. For example, women denied an abortion are significantly more likely to live in poverty years later.
Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives have been lost as a result of anti-transgender violence, hatred, and prejudice.
This week is Transgender Awareness Week, an annual observance bringing attention to issues transgender people face. In honor of Transgender Awareness week, I wanted to highlight triumphs of the community to establish more positive representation of transgender people in an effort to combat anti-trans stigmas and prejudice.
The first major election of the post-Roe era yielded new protections for abortion rights, as voters in three states approved measures to add constitutional protections guaranteeing access to the procedure…California, Michigan and Vermont backed ballot measures that effectively make it impossible for state lawmakers to enact bans.
