Unlike in recent years, when the thrust of legislative activity was on regulating abortion, this year legislators seem to be focusing on banning abortion outright.
On this 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we honor and celebrate US women’s legal right to abortion, and we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that abortion is accessible to women everywhere, and that the promise of the decision is a reality for all of us.
Reproductive health and rights were once again the subject of extensive debate in state capitols in 2012. Over the course of the year, 42 states and the District of Columbia enacted 122 provisions related to reproductive health and rights. One-third of these new provisions, 43 in 19 states, sought to restrict access to abortion services.
Telemedicine administration of medical abortion is a relatively new practice in the United States with great potential to reach underserved women with abortion care.
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A new bill in the state would ban telemed abortions, despite the fact that they currently don’t exist in Wisconsin.
The new regulations on medication abortion are definitely bad law and bad medicine. But on a cultural level, how much of a woman’s decision re: whether or not to get an abortion — medication or otherwise — is influenced by societal shame and stigma surrounding the procedure?
New research indicates that telemedicine abortion is safe, effective, and expands access to women in rural areas without an abortion provider. But laws based on ideology are increasingly limiting this promising new use of communications technology.
Nebraska’s anti-choice politicians are trying to ban telemedicine abortions, but they are already banned. And the new law could eliminate all medical abortions in the process.
Now the abortion restriction bill moves to the legislature for a vote.
Both bills stalled in the judiciary committee.
