Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Amid Infighting, Indiana Senate Clears Abortion Ban With Rape Exception
AP: Indiana Senate Narrowly Passes Near-Total Abortion Ban
Indiana state senators narrowly passed a near-total abortion ban Saturday during a rare weekend session, sending the bill to the House after a contentious week of arguments over whether to allow exceptions for rape and incest. (Rodgers and Callahan, 7/30)
Indianapolis Star: Trans & Nonbinary People React To SB 1, Indiana Abortion Restrictions
Between 462 to 530 trans and nonbinary individuals received abortions in 2017, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute. Around 1.2 million adults identify as nonbinary as of 2021, which includes people who are transgender, as reported by UCLA's Williams Institute. The same source states that in 2022, more than 1.6 million individuals aged 13 and up identify as transgender. (Kane, 8/1)
Regarding bans in West Virginia, Florida, and Ohio —
AP: WVa Delays Chance To Pass 1st New Bill Since Abortion Ruling
West Virginia lawmakers passed up the chance Friday to become the first state to approve new legislation restricting access to abortions since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last month removing its protected status as a constitutional right. (Raby, 7/29)
ABC News: Women's Health Doctors Say They Feel Increased Scrutiny Amid Abortion Bans
In nearby Tampa, Dr. Rachel Rapkin, a board-certified OBGYN, said she feels patients in Florida are getting "substandard care" because of the new abortion restrictions. "After seeing what's happened to doctors like Caitlin Bernard in Indiana who are being so intensely scrutinized ... doctors are really scared to provide what should be standard of care to our patients," Rapkin told ABC News. "And patients are getting substandard care now." (Kindelan, 8/1)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Less Income, Education Associated With Learning About Pregnancy After Ohio’s 6-Week Abortion Limit, OSU Study Suggests
Low-income women with less education are significantly more likely to discover their pregnancies after six weeks, too late now for an abortion in Ohio, new research from Ohio State University suggests. (Washington, 8/1)
On abortion and contraceptive access —
The Hill: McDonough Says VA Looking At Abortion Care Options In States With New Restrictions
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough on Sunday said his department is examining how to best protect abortion access to veterans after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, but he declined to provide a specific path forward. CNN “State of the Union” co-anchor Jake Tapper asked McDonough to respond to a letter from 24 Senate Democrats calling on the department to allow abortion services at veteran hospitals. (Schonfeld, 7/31)
The Boston Globe: Baker Signs Abortion Rights Expansion Bill Into Law
Governor Charlie Baker on Friday signed a bill that broadens access to abortion in Massachusetts and helps shield providers from out-of-state prosecution, putting on the books an expansion of the state’s already extensive reproductive rights statute. (Stout, 7/29)
The Boston Globe: After Roe V. Wade, More College Students Want Contraception Vending Machines On Campus
Students at New England universities are organizing to install emergency contraceptive vending machines on their campuses to increase access to sexual health resources following the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Although abortion remains legal in the region, many university students are concerned about access to contraceptives because they come from states where abortion has been banned or threatened in the wake of the Supreme Court decision in June. (Mogg, 7/31)
San Francisco Chronicle: How Abortion Clinics Are Managing Rise In Out-Of-State Patients
Planned Parenthood Northern California created a new position this month — a patient navigator whose role is to help out-of-state abortion seekers navigate reproductive health care services in the Golden State. The organization said it saw a 10% increase in monthly callers after the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. (Pak, 7/31)
Also —
ABC News: Abortions In Young Girls Are Not Uncommon, Experts Say
According to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health policy research organization, there were 4,460 pregnancies among people ages 14 and younger in 2017. The institute estimates that around half of those pregnancies, 1,960, ended in abortion. (El-Bawab and DiMartino, 7/31)
KHN: Journalists Detail The Scope Of The Abortion Ruling, Monkeypox, And Public Health Powers
KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed the impact of the Supreme Court decision on abortion on SiriusXM’s “The Briefing With Steve Scully” on July 28. ... KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber discussed monkeypox on Newsy’s “Evening Brief” and on C-SPAN’s “Washington Today” on July 25. She also discussed monkeypox and public health litigation on WAMU’s “1A” on July 22. (7/30)
