New Mexico Will Investigate History Of Forced Sterilization Of Native Women
Last week, legislators in New Mexico approved a measure to investigate the history and impact of forced and coerced sterilization of women of color in the state. Also in the news: abortion in Wyoming, elderly health care in California, and more.
AP:
New Mexico To Investigate Forced Sterilization Of Native Women
In the 1970s, the U.S. agency that provides health care to Native Americans sterilized thousands of women without their full and informed consent, depriving them of the opportunity to start or grow families. Decades later, the state of New Mexico is set to investigate that troubling history and its lasting harm. (Peters, 2/21)
More reproductive health news —
The Marshall Project:
Tens Of Thousands Of Moms Flagged To Police Over Flawed Drug Tests
Ayanna Harris-Rashid was sitting up in bed, her newborn son latched to her breast, one hand scrolling on her phone, when the police called. She was wanted on a felony charge of child neglect. (Walter and Castellano, 2/21)
ABC News:
Wyoming Abortion Bills, Including 'Heartbeat Ban,' Advancing Through Legislature
Two bills having to do with abortion are making their way through the Wyoming legislature. The first bill, HB0126, dubbed the Human Heartbeat Act, prohibits abortion if cardiac activity is detected in the fetus, which is around six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they're pregnant. If cardiac activity is detected, an abortion can only be performed in the case of a medical emergency, meaning if the life of the mother is in danger or if continuing the pregnancy would cause serious or irreversible impairment of a major bodily function, according to the bill, which does not include exceptions for women impregnated as a result of rape or incest. (Kekatos, 2/20)
KFF Health News:
New Orleans Brings Back The House Call, Sending Nurses To Visit Newborns And Moms
When Lisa Bonfield gave birth to daughter Adele in late November, she was thrust into the new world of parenting, and faced an onslaught of challenges and skills to learn: breastfeeding, diapering, sleep routines, colic, crying, and all the little warning signs that something could be wrong with the baby. But unlike parents in most of the U.S., she had extra help that was once much more common: house calls. Adele was only a few weeks old when a registered nurse showed up at Bonfield’s door on Dec. 10 to check on them and offer hands-on help and advice. (Westwood, 2/23)
Other health news from across the U.S. —
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Thousands Of Seniors In San Diego County Forced To Find New Doctors
Changes to SCAN health plan offerings affect many who were forced to leave Scripps in 2023 when the provider pulled its main medical groups out of the Medicare Advantage program. (Sisson, 2/22)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer:
‘I Just Wanted Them Not To Suffer’: Should Terminally Ill Ohioans Be Able To Decide When It’s Time To Die?
In a growing number of states, terminally ill patients now have a legal option that would have been unthinkable to many Americans a generation ago: a doctor’s prescription that allows them to end their own life. (McGowan, 2/22)
Stat:
As NIH Funding Shifts, States Test A New Research Model
On paper, little appears to have changed for UMass Chan Medical School over the past year, despite the cascade of paused and terminated grants and swift, unpredictable policy shifts that followed President Trump’s return to office. The amount of bread-and-butter RO1 awards it received from the National Institutes of Health in the 2025 fiscal year dropped only 1.6% from 2024. (Oza, 2/20)
KFF Health News:
State Lawmakers Seek Restraints On Wage Garnishment For Medical Debt
Lawmakers in at least eight states this year are aiming to reel in wage garnishment for unpaid medical bills. The legislation introduced in Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Washington builds on efforts made in other states in past years. This latest push for patient protections comes as the Trump administration has backed away from federal debt protections, health care has become more costly, and more people are expected to go without medical coverage or choose cheaper but riskier high-deductible insurance plans that could lead them into debt. (Bichell, 2/20)
