Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Over 300,000 Women Would Be Instantly Affected By Roe Overturn
NBC News: The First Women Who'd Be Personally Affected If Roe Is Overturned Are Already Pregnant
If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the decision would most immediately and directly affect more than 300,000 women who are pregnant now or will be before July in the 13 states with so-called trigger laws. That's the number of people who — according to an NBC News analysis of 2017 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights — would see their states’ abortion policies change while they’re still at points in pregnancy when they might have otherwise been eligible for abortions. The laws that determine their options, in other words, would transform almost overnight. (Bendix, 5/11)
More reaction, protests from Americans —
Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Bans Off Our Bodies' Abortion Rights Protest To Be Held Cincinnati
"Bans Off Our Bodies" protests will take place in cities across America on Saturday, including Cincinnati. The protests are part of a national response after a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion revealed considerations to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a constitutional right to abortion. The Cincinnati protest, organized by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, will be held at 11:30 a.m. at Fountain Square. Kersha Deibel, president of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region, said the Supreme Court draft decision confirmed what many have long feared. (Endale, 5/11)
Fox News: Americans Say Economy, Roe V. Wade Decision Top Voting Motivations As Midterms Approach
Cassandra, a Massachusetts voter, said she will "continue to support the politicians who support women’s rights" as she considers her voting decisions for the midterm elections. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the decision won't have a significant impact on the midterm elections, according to an RMG Research Group survey published Monday. Yet a Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted prior to the draft leak found that a majority of Americans support upholding the original ruling. One man, Nick, told Fox News the economy was another top priority. He cited inflation and the "cost of living going up." Inflation slightly eased to 8.3% in April, but remained near 40-year highs, the Department of Labor reported Wednesday. (Barton and Myers, 5/11)
The Washington Post: Karen Prior Has Worked For Roe's Overturn For Decades. This Isn't What She'd Hoped To Feel
The moment Karen Swallow Prior had worked and prayed for her entire adult life came at 8:41 p.m. last Monday as she stood on the porch of her Virginia farmhouse. In the dark her face was lit up by her phone, showing a text message that collapsed the decades: A leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion said a majority of the justices appeared ready to overturn Roe v. Wade. Prior was shocked and thrilled. But within minutes the deep divisions and differences in priorities among antiabortion advocates came into view. (Boorstein, 5/11)
On abortion pills, IUDs, and IVF —
ABC News: Major US Abortion Pill Producer Says It Has Ample Supply If Demand Soars
A major producer of the abortion pill in the U.S. says it has ample supply if demand suddenly soars in the wake of a Supreme Court decision and that it's working with federal regulators to make the drug available in pharmacies by the end of the year. "We are prepared for any surge," said the spokesperson for Danco Laboratories, which manufactures the brand-name drug Mifeprex."Our supply is stable and plentiful." (Flaherty, 5/11)
The New York Times: What to Know Before Getting an IUD
Ten percent of women in the United States between the ages of 15 and 49 currently use some form of long-acting reversible contraception, a category that includes intrauterine devices, or IUDs. Research has found the vast majority of people with IUDs are satisfied with their contraceptive method, but some women find the insertion process much more painful than they expected. (Pearson, 5/10)
The Washington Post: Supreme Court's Roe’s Overturn Could Make IVF More Complicated, Costly
After numerous rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF), Genevieve Pearson Adair was excited to have 18 fertilized eggs. But it turned out that 14 of them have the Fragile X gene associated with intellectual and developmental disability. She has kept them frozen, unsure of what to do, hoping for a time when medical science could provide clearer answers. But now, with the constitutional right to abortion hanging in the balance, she fears the right to determine their fate may be taken away from her. (Cha and Wax-Thibodeaux, 5/11)
