Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Veterans Affairs Provided 88 Abortions Over Last Year
Military.com: VA Says It Performed 88 Abortions In The Past Year, But Congress Again Threatens Subpoenas In Pursuit Of More Details
The Department of Veterans Affairs provided 88 abortions in the first year that it offered the procedure, according to a document sent to Congress this month that was obtained by Military.com. The number was given to the House Veterans Affairs Committee after the Republican-led panel threatened to subpoena the VA if it did not provide detailed data on the abortions it has provided. (Kheel, 10/19)
Bridge Michigan: Michigan Senate Votes To Repeal 24-Hour Wait For Abortion, Other Restrictions
Democrats in the Michigan Senate voted Thursday to repeal a series of abortion regulations despite strenuous Republican objections and an uncertain future for the bills in the House. The package, approved in a series of party-line votes, would eliminate a 24-hour waiting period for abortions in Michigan and repeal strict facility regulations for abortion clinics, among other things. ... The measures, now head to the House, where they face roadblocks. (Oosting, 10/19)
The 19th: An Arizona Supreme Court Justice Openly Opposes Abortion. He’ll Hear A Case Deciding Its Legality Anyway
A justice on the Arizona Supreme Court — which this winter could decide whether the state can enforce a near total ban on abortion — has repeatedly expressed his opposition to the procedure and received campaign support from a prominent state anti-abortion activist, according to materials reviewed by The 19th. Experts told The 19th that his past comments could be grounds for him recusing himself from the abortion-ban case, which he has not done. (Luthra, 10/19)
Texas Public Radio: San Antonio's Reproductive Justice Fund At The Center Of Texas' Latest Abortion Battle
Since abortion became illegal in Texas — first with the passage of SB8 and later with the fall of Roe v Wade — organizations have been working to help Texans access abortion care in other states. But anti-abortion groups are looking to shut them down. In September, the San Antonio City Council passed a budget item in the amount of $500,000 to create the city’s new Reproductive Justice Fund. (Davies, 10/19)
In other reproductive health news —
Stateline: Many Women Can't Access Miscarriage Drug Because It's Also Used For Abortions
Since losing her first pregnancy four months ago, 32-year-old Lulu has struggled to return to her body’s old rhythms. Lulu, who asked to be identified by her first name to protect her privacy, bled for six full weeks after her miscarriage and hasn’t had a normal menstrual cycle since. Such disruptions aren’t uncommon after miscarriage, which affects roughly 1 in 10 known pregnancies. But for Lulu, they’ve also served as a persistent reminder that she couldn’t access the drug mifepristone — her preferred method of care — to help her body pass the miscarriage. Instead, her doctor prescribed a drug called misoprostol, which on its own is less effective. “I recall clarifying with her about the kind of medication I would get,” Lulu said. “When she said misoprostol … I was really shocked. I made her repeat herself.” (Dewey, 10/20)
St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Patients Get Vasectomies At Mobile Clinic
A mobile clinic adorned with cartoon depictions of sperm is on a Missouri road trip offering free vasectomies this week. The trailer, which on Thursday was posted in the parking lot of Planned Parenthood’s Central West End clinic, also will stop at clinics in Springfield and Rolla. This is the third trip the mobile clinic and its owner, Dr. Esgar Guarín, have made to the region since 2021. For Guarín, who operates Iowa clinics in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, the trip helps highlight an underutilized form of birth control. (Fentem, 10/20)
