Tracy Weitz is an Associate Professor and Director of the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Weitz’s passion is for those aspects of women’s health that are marginalized either for ideological reasons or because the populations affected lack the means or mechanisms to have their concerns raised. Her current research focuses on innovative strategies to expand abortion provision in the U.S. Dr. Weitz also serves as the Associate Director for Public Policy at the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, and was its founding executive director over a decade ago. She is a current board member of the Society of Family Planning, the ACLU of Northern California, and Breast Cancer Action. In 1999, she received the UCSF Chancellor’s Award for the Advancement of Women and in 2012 the UCSF Academic Senate Distinction in Mentoring Award. She has an MPA degree in public administration with an emphasis in health care and a PhD in medical sociology from the University of California, San Francisco.
In the heated debate around trans-vaginal ultrasounds, there is too little focus on what is really wrong with these laws.
This week, Planned Parenthood announced it will let go of the “pro-choice” label, concerned that the pro-life/pro-choice framework for abortion doesn’t resonate with the general public that holds many more conflicting positions on abortion.
The 46 million women who have abortions every year throughout the world deserve to be respected—not seen as targets of prevention.
From a fundamental human rights perspective denying abortion for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest is just as problematic as denying abortions to women who can’t afford another child, are in unstable relationships, do not want to be a parent, or want to pursue other life opportunities.
Roe is not the standard for abortion; women’s decision-making is. It deserves legal protection because it is a fact of women’s existence; it is not a fact because it is legally protected.
It is time to acknowledge that PAs, NPs and CNMs [collectively known as advanced practice clinicians (APCs)] are capable and qualified to provide abortion care services, but that current efforts to provide this care are thwarted by both the politics of health care and the politics of abortion.
