Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abortions Fell 6% After Dobbs Ruling, More Than Some Expected
The New York Times: Legal Abortions Fell By 6 Percent In The Six Months After Dobbs, New Data Shows
The number of legal abortions in the United States decreased just over 6 percent in the six months after the Supreme Court ended the right to abortion last June, according to a report released Tuesday, the most comprehensive and up-to-date count of abortions nationwide. (Sanger-Katz and Miller, 4/12)
In abortion news from Montana, Indiana, and elsewhere —
AP: Pending Abortion Ban Can’t Be Prevented, Montana Judge Rules
A bill to restrict abortions in Montana will become law — at least temporarily — if the governor signs it, a judge ruled. Monday’s ruling denies a request by abortion rights advocates to preemptively block legislation that would ban the abortion method most commonly used in the second trimester. District Court Judge Kathy Seeley said the request by Planned Parenthood of Montana was made before the bill became law, so there is nothing to block. (4/11)
AP: Indiana Birth Control Bills Move With Abortion Ban In Flux
Indiana residents could have over-the-counter birth control access under a bill state lawmakers sent to the governor Tuesday, a move proponents say will prevent unwanted pregnancies in a state that passed an abortion ban last summer. The state House bill is key to providing women quicker access to contraceptives, bill sponsor Republican Sen. Sue Glick said Tuesday, especially in areas where they struggle to receive primary care. (Rodgers, 4/11)
AP: Abortion Questions Intensify In US Courts, Legislatures
New court rulings could spark more change for U.S. abortion policy, which has been in flux since last June when the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to an abortion. Courts are considering big changes, including some with broad implications, as state legislatures enact more restrictions or outright bans. (Mulvihill, 4/11)
AP: Florida Fight Over 'Baby Boxes' Part Of Bigger Culture War
Safe Haven Baby Boxes and A Safe Haven for Newborns are two charities with similar names and the same goal: providing distressed mothers with a safe place to surrender their unwanted newborns instead of dumping them in trash cans or along roadsides. But a fight between the two is brewing in the Florida Senate. An existing state law, supported and promoted by the Miami-based A Safe Haven, allows parents to surrender newborns to firefighters and hospital workers without giving their names. A new bill, supported by the Indiana-based Safe Haven Baby Boxes, would give fire stations and hospitals the option to install the group’s ventilated and climate-controlled boxes, where parents could drop off their babies without interacting with fire or hospital employees. (Spencer, 4/11)
Also —
NPR: Early Pregnancy Explained: An Illustrated Guide
Pregnancy is often talked about as though it's a light switch. You're a regular person walking around and then a switch flips — presto, you're pregnant. The reality is more nuanced. (Simmons-Duffin and Johnson, 4/12)
