Georgia Woman, Suspected Of Taking Abortion Pill, Is Charged With Murder
Georgia bans abortion after embryonic cardiac activity can be detected, usually about six weeks into a pregnancy. Medical records estimated the woman had been pregnant for 22 to 24 weeks, AP reported. Plus: Mississippi and Ohio lawmakers weigh abortion restrictions; Wyoming and Massachusetts note patient counts at clinics; and more.
AP:
Georgia Woman Faces Murder Charge In Medication Abortion Case
A 31-year-old Georgia woman has been charged with murder by police who say she took pills to induce an illegal abortion. If state prosecutors decide to move forward with the murder charge brought by local police against Alexia Moore, her case would be one of the first instances of a woman being charged for terminating a pregnancy in Georgia since it passed a 2019 law banning most abortions. (Bynum, 3/19)
Mississippi Today:
Lawmakers In Mississippi Consider Bill To Restrict Abortion Medication
House lawmakers are deliberating sending a bill to Gov. Tate Reeves that would make it illegal for doctors to prescribe medication that could be used to induce abortion to patients in Mississippi. (Paffenroth, 3/19)
Ohio Capital Journal:
Ohio House Committee Advances Bill Mandating 24-Hour Waiting Period For Abortion Care
In a quick hearing that ended in opponents yelling “shame,” the Ohio House Health Committee approved a bill Wednesday that would effectively add a 24-hour waiting period for abortion care. (Tebben, 3/19)
WyoFile:
Wyoming’s Lone Abortion Clinic Treats Fewer Patients While Partial Ban Awaits Court Hearing
Wellspring Health Access has shifted to follow the new law, Julie Burkhart, president of Wellspring Health Access in Casper, told WyoFile on Wednesday. The clinic is serving patients whose last menstrual period lines up with the tight timeline, Burkhart told WyoFile, and is abiding by the law by screening for a heartbeat. (Harris and Klingsporn, 3/19)
GBH:
Most People Getting Abortion Services In Massachusetts Don’t Live Here
Massachusetts health care professionals are now providing abortions to more people out of state than residents. And a new report released by the state’s Department of Public Health this week suggests most of those appointments are happening without a single in-person visit. (Reale, 3/19)
In other reproductive health care news —
The 19th:
Pesticide Exposure Before Pregnancy Could Be Linked To Newborn Health Risks
Pesticide exposure may affect the health of a baby even before a person becomes pregnant, according to a new study released last week. (Kutz, 3/19)
ProPublica:
Inside A Court Hearing That Decided How She’d Give Birth
It’s difficult to put yourself in the place of Cherise Doyley, a pregnant mother of three who found herself facing a judge while in labor at the University of Florida Health hospital in downtown Jacksonville. She had arrived at the facility with a plan for her birth. She wanted to try for a vaginal delivery, but she understood from years of experience as a professional birthing doula that things don’t always go as planned. (Yurkanin, 3/20)
Verite News:
Free Crawfish, STI Testing At Upcoming Annual Block Party
The Louisiana Abortion Fund (LAAF) and SHER Lab are co-hosting a community block party this weekend in the Tremé where attendees can get free food, music and STI testing and meet representatives of dozens of local health organizations. ... It is the first year the organizations will be partnering to host the block party. In previous years, both organizations hosted similar but separate block parties. (Yehiya, 3/19)
