Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Abortion Is Vital Health Care; A Total Abortion Ban Is Beyond McConnell's Reach
Seattle Times: Our Bodily Autonomy Is A Human Right, And Abortion Is Essential Health Care
The leaked initial Supreme Court decision confirmed what advocates have been saying for years: Roe v. Wade will likely be overturned. Currently, abortion is still legal in all 50 states and will remain legal in Washington after the decision is final. To confront this decision and a nationwide abortion ban already in the works, accurate information about abortion and the crisis of its criminalization is necessary, followed by action to support reproductive health equity and justice. As public health researchers and abortion providers in Washington, we outline the current situation and potential impacts in the region, the history of these dangerous laws and actions for Washingtonians. (Taylor Riley, Yasaman Zia and Emily Godfrey, 5/9)
CNN: It Would Be Nearly Impossible For Mitch McConnell To Ban Abortion Nationwide
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell wants very badly to be Senate majority leader again after the coming midterm elections -- so it was a bit surprising to hear him suggest to USA Today that Republicans could enact a nationwide abortion ban. While Democrats will use the draft Supreme Court opinion that could overturn Roe v. Wade to reignite their voters, the general feeling emanating from Republicans like McConnell had been to focus elsewhere. In order to win back the House and possibly take the Senate, GOP leaders say Republican candidates should de-emphasize the abortion issue and stay as focused as possible on concerns about the economy and blaming the Biden administration for a potential downturn. (Zachary B. Wolf, 5/9)
NBC News: Lawmakers’ Tug-Of-War Over Women’s Bodies Led Me To Make An Irreversible Decision
In November I went under the knife for a bilateral salpingectomy, the removal of both of my fallopian tubes, at 24 years old. The procedure is permanent, irreversible and more than 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. Three months earlier on a muggy August day in Washington, D.C., I had walked into my gynecologist’s office to inquire about the procedure. I’d heard horror stories of doctors refusing to conduct the surgery on young, unmarried patients and expected similar disregard. However, I met with my surgeon within the week. She sat on a stool across from me and told me, “I’m not one of those paternalistic doctors. We’ll go through all the pros and cons so you can make an informed decision and whatever you decide is right for you, we’ll do.” (Alexandra Yiannoutsos, 5/9)
CNN: This Mother's Day, I Want To Stop Screaming Into The Void
As I lay on the exam table, squeezing the life out of my husband's hand, I heard the doctor's calming voice say, "You're doing great. Just a little more." The last time I heard these words, I was giving birth to my daughter, now three. This time, I was undergoing a procedure to scrape the insides of my uterus, known as an endometrial biopsy, in hopes of resolving a miscarriage that began nearly three months earlier. For nearly every day of 2022, I've become all too aware of the emotional and physical cost of bearing this loss. What I had never considered and was appalled to discover were the financial costs, a literal reminder of the steep price of pregnancy in America. (Adeline Chen, 5/9)
