Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
IVF Embryo Disposal Isn't Subject To Abortion Ban, Tennessee AG Says
AP: AG: Disposing Embryos Outside Uterus Not Against Tenn. Law
Tennessee’s strict abortion ban does not apply to the disposal of fertilized human embryos that haven’t been transferred to a uterus, according to a recent state attorney general opinion. The determination is among the first issued by an attorney general that provides insight on how laws heavily restricting abortion affect those seeking in vitro fertilization, or IVF, since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion. (Kruesi, 11/4)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Doctors Want To Join Challenge Of State's 1849 Abortion Law
Three physicians are seeking to intervene in a lawsuit filed this summer by Attorney General Josh Kaul and Gov. Tony Evers that challenges the legal standing of Wisconsin's 173-year-old abortion ban. Pines Bach, a Madison-based law firm, filed a motion Thursday on behalf of the physicians, all of whom routinely treat pregnant patients. (Van Egeren, 11/4)
Oklahoman: Bans Didn't Stop Oklahomans Seeking Abortions, New Research Shows
In the wake of Oklahoma’s abortion bans and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, legal abortions had essentially ceased across the state by June. At the same time, new research shows that online requests for medication abortion increased significantly in Oklahoma and other states that had banned abortion after the Dobbs decision, which overturned the landmark Supreme Court decision that had protected access to abortion for nearly 50 years. (Branham, 11/5)
KHN: Post-‘Roe,’ Contraceptive Failures Carry Bigger Stakes
Birth control options have improved over the decades. Oral contraceptives are now safer, with fewer side effects. Intrauterine devices can prevent pregnancy 99.6% of the time. But no prescription drug or medical device works flawlessly, and people’s use of contraception is inexact. “No one walks into my office and says, ‘I plan on missing a pill,’” said obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Mitchell Creinin. (Varney, 11/7)
