Abortion ‘desert’ in US south is hurting Black women the most

Ten million Black women in the US face high barriers to abortion access, that will be difficult to overcome for many.

By Taylor Johnson and Kelsey Butler
23 Aug 2022

In the weeks since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, an abortion desert has ballooned in the US South, where bans are hitting Black women hardest.

Across the country Black patients have an abortion rate roughly four times that of their White peers, in part due to lower use of contraception that leads to higher rates of unintended pregnancies. In the states that have moved quickly to enact restrictions, Black women make up a far larger proportion of abortion seekers than in places where abortion remains legal.

Continued: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/23/abortion-desert-in-us-south-is-hurting-black-women-the-most

How Mississippi ended up with one abortion clinic and why it matters

The story of abortion access in the state helps explain why some legal experts believe the U.S. may be on the brink of overturning Roe v. Wade

By Caroline Kitchener and Casey Parks
Nov 30, 2021

When the abortion doctor lost his medical license in 2004, Nancy Atkins wasn’t sure how she could keep going. Malachy DeHenre had been the only doctor at the clinic Atkins owned in Jackson, Miss. Recruiting OB/GYNs to perform abortions anywhere was difficult, but in Mississippi, Atkins had learned, it was nearly impossible. The state had the toughest regulations and the most ardent antiabortion protesters. One activist even regularly told people that killing an abortion provider might count as “justifiable homicide.”

Seventeen years later, Atkins isn’t surprised that her state is the one that some legal observers believe is poised to overturn or seriously undermine Roe v. Wade. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a challenge to Mississippi’s law banning most abortions after 15 weeks. Roe protects a person’s constitutional right to abortion before viability, usually around 22 to 24 weeks.

The last abortion clinic in Mississippi is at the center of a Supreme Court case that could end Roe v. Wade

If the Supreme Court upholds Mississippi’s 15-week ban, the decision would almost certainly weaken Roe v. Wade. In Mississippi and beyond, the impact would be tremendous.

Shefali Luthra, Health Reporter
November 22, 2021

JACKSON, MS — The Pink House wasn’t Tiara’s first choice. It wasn’t even her second. But it was one of the only places that could help her.

Tiara, who withheld her full name for privacy, lives in Beaumont, Texas. She and her husband have three children: a 2-year-old and 1-year-old twins. She works and is in charge of the majority of parenting duties with her kids.

Continued: https://19thnews.org/2021/11/abortion-clinic-mississippi-supreme-court/

Women’s March plans return to D.C. to fight for abortion access

Casey Parks
Sept 27, 2021

The Women’s March returns to Washington this Saturday for its fifth annual event.

Though recent marches have been smaller than the first, which drew millions of participants, organizers say women have plenty to protest. The pandemic revealed striking wage and employment gaps for women, and a national child care crisis has left many overwhelmed and tapped out financially.

Continued: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/09/27/womens-march-2021-abortion/