Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Maternity Homes, Aimed At Halting Abortions, Expanding Across US
AP: After The End Of Roe, A New Beginning For Maternity Homes
There has been a nationwide expansion of maternity homes in the two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and the federal right to abortion. “It’s been a significant increase,” said Valerie Harkins, director of the Maternity Housing Coalition, a nonprofit anti-abortion network of 195 maternity homes that has grown 23% since the court’s ruling. There are now more than 450 maternity homes in the U.S., according to Harkins; many of them are faith-based. As abortion restrictions increase, anti-abortion advocates want to open more of these transitional housing facilities, which often have long waitlists. It’s part of what they see as the next step in preventing abortions and providing long-term support for low-income pregnant women and mothers. (Stanley, 8/2)
AP: What Are Maternity Homes? Their Legacy Is Checkered
Maternity homes have seen a resurgence in the two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Across the country, homes are sprouting up or expanding. Christian anti-abortion advocates want to open more of these transitional housing facilities, believing they are the next step in helping women who carry pregnancies to term. Maternity homes differ from emergency shelters: They typically provide longer-term housing and wraparound services for pregnant women, sometimes for months or even years after birth. Many of them are faith-based, with founders who are Catholic or evangelical. (Stanley, 8/2)
In other reproductive health news —
NBC News: Finding Cheap Birth Control Is Becoming Harder For Many In States With Abortion Bans
A renewed spotlight on protecting access to birth control may not help women who are already struggling to find affordable contraception in some states with the strictest abortion laws. At a family planning clinic in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, that largely helps low-income women, executive director Robin Marty has to make sure the clinic, WAWC Healthcare, has a variety of contraceptives on hand, including pills, patches, implants and IUDs, so patients can get free or low-cost birth control during their appointments. (Sullivan, 8/3)
NBC News: Fentanyl Misuse During Pregnancy Can Cause Severe Birth Defects
The number of babies born with severe birth defects affecting their growth and development is rising, as researchers now have strong evidence that illicit fentanyl is causing the problems. Hospitals have identified at least 30 newborns with what has been identified as “fetal fentanyl syndrome,” NBC News has learned. The babies were born to mothers who said they’d used street drugs, particularly fentanyl, while pregnant. (Edwards, 8/2)
AP: Surgical Castration, 'Don't Say Gay' And Absentee Regulations. New Laws Go Into Effect In Louisiana
A slew of Louisiana legislation, including a first-of-its-kind law that allows judges to impose the punishment of surgical castration for offenders guilty of certain sex crimes against children, went into effect Thursday. Between new Republican Gov. Jeff Landry and a GOP supermajority in the Louisiana Legislature, measures mirroring national conservative priorities had a clear path forward into law this year. From anti-LGBTQ+ bills, tough-on-crime policies and additional regulations on absentee ballots, here is a closer look at some of the legislation that officially took effect Thursday. (Cline, 8/1)
