Jessica Valenti: Abortion, Every Day (12.29.22) Daily round-up of abortion issues

[Nevilledog]

https://jessica.substack.com/p/abortion-every-day-122922

In the states…

Louisiana has one of the strictest abortion bans in the nation, and despite Gov. John Bel Edwards’ claims that the transition to outlawing abortion has gone “smoothly,” the state has been thrown into complete chaos. You may remember that the state Department of Health has been refusing to answer questions from doctors—who say the law has created an “atmosphere of terror.” Well, we’re seeing that terror in stark action: OBGYNs in the state are refusing to see pregnant women until they’re 12 weeks along, because they’re afraid that the high risk for miscarriage in that first trimester could end up making them a target for investigation. (Generally you’d go for your first prenatal appointment around 8 weeks.)

Thirty-year old Kaitlyn Joshua from Baton Rouge told NPR, “How in the world can we have a viable health care system for women, especially women of color, when they won't even see you for 12 weeks?” Joshua not only was unable to see a doctor early in her pregnancy, but was denied treatment again and again when she started to miscarry around her 10th week. One emergency room refused to definitively confirm her miscarriage, and wouldn’t explain her treatment options. Instead a nurse told her, “we're praying for you.”

When Joshua went to a second hospital the following day, bleeding so much that her pants soaked through with blood, she asked the doctor for medication to speed up the miscarriage or a D&C (both standard miscarriage treatment). The doctor told her, “we’re not going to do that,” and refused to refer her somewhere else for miscarriage treatment—or even give her discharge papers stating that she was having a miscarriage. Joshua says, “She stated that they're not going to put anywhere 'spontaneous abortion' because that would then flag an investigation on them.” Joshua’s husband said they wouldn’t even look him in the eye.

Joshua should have been able to get immediate care, instead she had to spend weeks miscarrying without treatment. She told NPR, “This experience has made me see how Black women die. Like this is how Black women are dying.”

*snip*

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[Hekate]

2. KnR