Reproductive Justice

FROM THE HEADLINES

Biden’s Planned Actions on Reproductive Health Care, Explained January 22, 2021 (Anna North – VOX)
The president intends to reverse some of Trump’s biggest restrictions.

The Truth Behind Rumors That the COVID-19 Vaccine Can Impact Fertility January 22, 2021 (Kate Schweitzer – Popsugar)
As more and more people around the globe are receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, questions continue to arise about its safety, particularly for those who are pregnant or trying to conceive.

Pregnant Health Care Workers a Question for Early COVID-19 Immunization
December 2, 2020 (Shefali Luthra – The 19th*)
None of the vaccines have yet been tested during pregnancy, creating a conundrum for the advisory committee recommending who gets immunized first.

Pregnant People Haven’t Been Included in Promising COVID Vaccine Trials November 17, 2020 (Shefali Luthra – The 19th*)
Vaccine trials have had promising results, but a lack of testing makes it unclear if they’ll be safe for pregnant people.

Pregnant Women Are Contracting COVID-19 and Dying November 17, 2020 (Donna M. Owens – Essence)
A CDC report found that expectant mothers are more likely to be admitted to ICU, receive invasive ventilation, and are at increased risk of death compared to non-pregnant women.

Pregnancy Increases COVID-19’s Mortality Risk, CDC Says November 3, 2020 (Shefali Luthra – The 19th*)
A new report linked pregnancy to higher rates of complications, including death, from COVID-19 — a reversal from previous federal advisories.

Will We Choose the Right Side of History? October 14, 2020 (Nicholas Kristof – New York Times)
Amy Coney Barrett has been following recent precedent in her confirmation hearing before the Senate, pretending that she has never had an interesting thought in her life.

Pregnant Women with COVID-19 Don’t Pass the Virus to Their Newborns, Study Finds October 12, 2020 (Brian P. Dunleavy – UPI)
New mothers infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy didn’t pass the virus to their babies, even if they breastfed and shared the same hospital room, according to a study published Monday by JAMA Pediatrics.

It’s Not Just Hysterectomies: The U.S. Has A Long, Shameful History Of Forced Sterilizations September 18, 2020 (Britni de la Cretaz )
As news broke this week that ICE was performing hysterectomies on non-consenting detainees in Georgia, countless people expressed shock and anger at the news, which was brought to light by whistleblower Dawn Wooten, who had been a nurse at the detention center.

Black Nurse Speaks Out After Being Identified as ICE Whistleblower September 16, 2020 (Biba Adams )
Dawn Wooten, who was a licensed practical nurse at the Irwin County Detention Center, has prompted calls for a federal investigation into her claims that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center where she worked was performing mass hysterectomies.

Reports Of ICE’s Forced Hysterectomies Are Nothing New In America September 15, 2020 (Angelina Chapin )
On Monday news spread that women in a Georgia ICE detention center are being coerced into hysterectomies, according to a whistleblower and former nurse at the facility.

‘A Silent Pandemic’: Nurse at ICE Facility Blows the Whistle on Coronavirus Dangers September 14, 2020 (José Olivares, John Washington )
A nurse at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia is speaking out about a host of dangerous medical practices at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility amid the coronavirus outbreak.

How Coronavirus Relief Funds Are Being Weaponized Against Reproductive Health Care August 27, 2020 (by Sophie Hayssen  – Women’s Media Center)
When the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) passed in March to provide funding to keep small businesses afloat in the midst of COVID-19, between $4 million and $10 million were doled out to controversial faux-abortion clinics known as crisis pregnancy centers.

Pregnant in a Pandemic: The ‘Perfect Storm for a Crisis’ August 25, 2020 (by Shefali Luthra – The 19th*)
Pregnant people in the pandemic are even more vulnerable to depression and anxiety. It’s a problem the U.S. is already struggling to address.

Periods Don’t Stop During a Pandemic, But Supply of Hygiene Products in a Locked-Down Refugee Camp Does August 17, 2020 (by Sameeksha Khare – Women’s Media Center)
For women in a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, access to menstrual hygiene and sanitary materials is severely impacted — as is their ability to healthily manage their periods, which is crucial for their safety and well-being.

Study Suggests Pregnant Women Can Pass the Coronavirus to Their Fetus July 9, 2020 (by Marilynn Marchione – Huffington Post)
A small study of 31 women with COVID-19 in Italy found signs of the virus in samples of umbilical cord blood, the placenta and, in one case, breast milk.

Advocates Fear Another Devastating Impact of COVID-19: More Forced Pregnancies and Reproductive Control June 10, 2020 (by Jallicia Jolly – Rewire News)
Black, brown, Indigenous, disabled, and low-income people have historically been victim to state-sanctioned forced sterilizations and reproductive coercion.

COVID-19 Abortion Bans Could Have Alarming Effects Far Beyond This Crisis May 13, 2020 (by Rachel Rebouche and Mary Ziegler – Newsweek)
This isn’t just a terrible, temporary situation in a few states. The bans—and the way they’re defended in court—could determine the future of U.S. abortion rights.

Keeping Women’s Health Essential Despite COVID-19 Shortages May 7, 2020 (by Anu Kumar – CNN)
As more countries impose necessary lockdowns and restrictions on in-person medical treatment and allocation of resources, contraception and abortion are becoming harder to access, particularly in low-income countries.

COVID-19 Interrupts Fertility Plans for Hopeful Couples in the United Kingdom April 27, 2020 (by Orla Barry – PRI)
Thousands of women may lose out on their chance to have a baby as fertility clinics across Britain shut their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus Is a Lurking Danger for Pregnant Women. Congress Should Act: March of Dimes April 27, 2020 (by Dr. Rahul Gupta – USA Today)
COVID-19 calls for studies focused on pregnant women and infants. And ensure that every pregnant woman in the USA has insurance and access to care.

Couples Struggling with Infertility Are Stuck in Limbo During COVID-19 April 24, 2020 (by Terri Peters – Today)
The coronavirus pandemic is putting many infertility treatments on hold, but couples are not giving up hope.

Can You Still Do IVF During the Coronavirus Pandemic? April 14, 2020 (by – Vox)
Many fertility clinics are putting procedures—and patients’ hopes—on hold.

States Are Using the Cover of COVID-19 to Restrict Abortion and Health Care for Women March 30, 2020 (by Alex Morris – Rolling Stone)
With constituents distracted by the deadly pandemic, Republican state legislatures across the country are ramping up efforts to limit access to abortion

The Coronavirus Becomes an Excuse to Restrict Abortions March 26, 2020 (by Emily Bazelon – The New York Times)
Texas and Ohio say the procedures are nonessential and must yield to the pandemic.

Ohio and Texas Have Banned All ‘Nonessential’ Abortions During the Coronavirus Pandemic March 24, 2020 (by Hilary Weaver – Supermajority News)
Some states are banning abortions despite recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that all abortions remain on the list of essential procedures.

Some Pregnant Women in New York City Will Have to Deliver Babies Alone  March 24, 2020 (by Christina Caron and )
Women giving birth at two leading New York City hospital networks are being told they must labor without spouses, partners or doulas by their side—leaving the expectant mothers anxious and frightened about their upcoming deliveries.

The COVID-19 Outbreak: Potential Fallout for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights March 11, 2020 (by Zara Ahmed and Adam Sonfield – Guttmacher Institute)
What may be lost in the chaos of the pandemic is the specific impact on sexual and reproductive health and rights, both for people in the United States and around the world

COVID Gendered

COVID Gendered provides news stories, research reports, action items, events, and other forms of content that look at the global crisis through a gendered lens, amplifying efforts to create change.

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE NEWSLETTER
* indicates required