Viewpoints: Politicians Are Not Doctors; Harms Caused By Anti-Abortion Laws Are Leading To Lawsuits
Editorial writers delve into these public health topics.
Miami Herald:
Politicians Have No Place In Women’s Medical Decisions
Last week, Florida lawmakers filed a dystopian bill that would ban abortions after six weeks and threatens to steal that currency from us. House Bill 7 has its first hearing Thursday, Healthcare Regulation subcommittee. (Monica Skoko Rodriguez, 3/16)
Dallas Morning News:
I’m Suing Texas Over Its Abortion Laws. Here’s My Story
What I needed was an abortion, a standard medical procedure. An abortion would have prevented the unnecessary harm and suffering that I endured. Not only the psychological trauma that came with three days of waiting, but the physical harm my body suffered, the extent of which is still being determined. I needed an abortion to protect my life, and to protect the lives of my future babies that I hope and dream I can still have one day. (Amanda Zurawski, 3/16)
The New York Times:
Walgreens Is Caught In The Cross-Fire Of The Abortion Wars
The abortion pill decision by Walgreens reflects the right’s success in using corporations to affect public policy. (Mary Ziegler, 3/17)
Also —
The New York Times:
Britain’s National Health Service Is Exhausted
On Dec. 15, nurses walked out and began the largest nurses’ strike in the history of Britain’s National Health Service. They were protesting working conditions that have left them burned out and stretched thin — and compromised patient safety — and wages that fell in the last decade in real terms. (Allyson Pollock and Peter Roderick, 3/17)
The Star Tribune:
Fund The New 988 Mental Health Crisis Line
Suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death across the nation and the second among young people, according to Mental Health Minnesota, a nonprofit advocacy group. A connection during a crisis can be the difference between life and death. (3/16)
The Washington Post:
After Three Years Of Covid, Three Questions Remain
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially designated the novel coronavirus as a pandemic. Two days later, then-President Donald Trump declared a national emergency. (Leana S. Wen, 3/16)
Stat:
New HIPAA Privacy Rule Would Create Financial Burden
The already beleaguered U.S. health care system is facing a new and costly threat that will affect patient care and ultimately may lead to hospital closures: paying for and processing a torrent of medical record requests. (Angie Comfort, 3/17)
