Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Survey: Majority Of Americans Support Free Birth Control If Roe Falls
The Hill: Most Americans Support Free, Widely Available Birth Control If Abortion Is Banned: Poll
Most Americans say that birth control should be made free and widely available if abortion is outlawed, according to a new poll conducted shortly after a leaked draft opinion shows the Supreme Court is likely to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion. YouGov America and The Economist released results of a new nationwide survey that assessed how Americans view abortion and reproductive rights. A majority of respondents, 45 percent, indicated they do not want the Supreme Court to overturn the 1973 case Roe v. Wade, which affirmed abortion access as a constitutional right. (Ali, 5/12)
Brookings: Overturning Roe Highlights Need For Family Planning, Especially In Trigger Ban States
Access to family planning, whether it be contraception or abortion, has positive effects on women’s long-term outcomes by allowing them to determine whether, when, and under what circumstances to start or grow their families. The widespread availability of the birth control pill in the second half of the twentieth century allowed researchers to study the impact of contraception on women’s outcomes. Goldin and Katz (2002) find that the availability of the pill was linked to an increase in women’s educational attainment and professional achievement. On the other hand, unintended pregnancies impact women’s life trajectories. According to a survey conducted by the Urban Institute, a majority of women report that an unintended birth would negatively affect their educational attainment, career performance, and mental health. (Smith and Welch, 5/11)
Politico: How One Clinic in Texas Explains the Threat to Contraception
In a small one-story clinic with peeling white paint, Community Health Services provides health care, including family planning, to low-income, mostly Latina, women in this city a 45-minute drive south of booming Austin. The women who come here, many of whom had their first child when they were still teenagers, live in Texas, which has been on the front line of the abortion wars since September when the Republican-controlled legislature passed a novel piece of legislation banning all abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy. (Kenen and Ollstein, 5/12)
AP: Tennessee GOP Leaders Not Planning To Ban Contraception
Top Republican leaders in Tennessee say they don’t have plans to ban contraceptives as they await a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on whether the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case will be overturned. Earlier this month, a leaked draft opinion suggested the nation’s highest court is poised to abolish a nationwide right to abortion. The news quickly sparked concern from some reproductive rights advocates, who warned if SCOTUS does overturn Roe then lawmakers may look to impose restrictions surrounding emergency contraception and IUDs. (Kruesi, 5/12)
Springfield News-Leader: Birth Control, Fertility Care Not Addressed In Missouri 'Trigger Law'
Following the leaked Supreme Court draft that would overturn Roe v. Wade, there has been concern about how Missouri's "trigger law" would impact other forms of birth control — like intrauterine devices and emergency contraception — and fertility care like in vitro fertilization. However, abortion-rights groups say the trigger law will not impact access to those reproductive services, despite claims to the contrary. (Szuch, 5/10)
In other news —
NBC News: Getting Abortion Pills By Mail Is Already More Complicated Than It Might Seem
Thirty-two states require the pills to be prescribed by physicians, rather than nurse practitioners or physician assistants. Nineteen require clinicians to be physically present for one or more visits, effectively eliminating access by mail. (They are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.) Six of those states — Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Texas and West Virginia — had also made it illegal to use telehealth for abortion access as of February, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Bendix, 5/12)
Los Angeles Times: Abortion Ads Are Suddenly Flooding Your TV And Phones
The anticipated overturning of Roe vs. Wade quickly became the focus of political ads coast to coast. “A woman’s fundamental rights ... hang in the balance,” a New Hampshire senator warns. A candidate for governor in Alabama accuses the incumbent of “aiding and abetting murder.” “Our freedom is on the ballot,” exhorts an ad in support of a Texas congressional candidate. A California congressional candidate pledged, “We will not go back to women dying.” (Mehta and Castleman, 5/12)
New York Post: Students Stage School Walkout Against SCOTUS Abortion Leak
Hundreds of New York City high school students put down their pencils and picked up placards Thursday to denounce the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion expected to overturn Roe v. Wade. Water-soaked teens — gripping signs in the Washington Square Park fountain with phrases like “Not Your Uterus, Not Your Opinion” — told The Post they plan to protest the anticipated ruling every week until the final opinion is released. (Fofana and Bamberger, 5/12)
Axios: Businesses Face Major Benefits Questions Amid Roe Uncertainty
Corporate America is facing a flurry of questions about how it provides health benefits in the wake of a leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft that indicates the federal right to abortion could be overturned. Businesses hoping to use reproductive health benefits as part of efforts to recruit and retain employees would have to be careful not to run afoul of laws should states be allowed to ban abortions. The balancing act over the next several months could get messy, experts warn. (Reed, 5/13)
KHN: Should You Worry About Data From Your Period-Tracking App Being Used Against You?
It’s estimated that millions of people in the U.S. use period-tracking apps to plan ahead, track when they are ovulating, and monitor other health effects. The apps can help signal when a period is late. After Politico published on May 2 a draft opinion from the Supreme Court indicating that Roe v. Wade, the law that guarantees the constitutional right to an abortion, would be overturned, people turned to social media. They were expressing concerns about the privacy of this information — especially for people who live in states with strict limits on abortion — and how it might be used against them. (Norman and Knight, 5/13)
