On Jan. 22, pro-choice Americans marked 51 years since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion and gave women the right to bodily autonomy. On June 24, anti-choice Americans will no doubt celebrate the fact that it has been two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is the favorite in North Carolina’s GOP gubernatorial primary and just like other Republicans, such as N.C. Sen. Ted Budd, Robinson has essentially stopped talking about abortion, or “the a-word,” as he now calls it.
President Biden and Democrats across the country held a series of events this month to highlight the fight for abortion rights as the nation marked what would have been the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade on January 22.
A federal appeals court ruled this month that Texas hospitals cannot be required to perform emergency abortions to stabilize the life of a patient, despite federal guidance that advises the contrary.
In the two months after state Republicans implemented a sweeping abortion ban, the number of abortions performed in a formal healthcare setting in North Carolina declined substantially, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute.
Since 2013, the Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) has been directing taxpayer money to fund crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). CPCs, which work to dissuade pregnant people from terminating their pregnancies, are notorious for lying to women about the safety and potential risks of abortion.
In the month after Republicans in the state legislature implemented a sweeping abortion ban, abortions in the state have fallen 31%, according to a new analysis from the Guttmacher Institute.
US District Judge Catherine Eagles recently issued an order blocking two provisions of North Carolina’s new abortion ban from taking effect during an ongoing lawsuit. According to the Associated Press, nearly all the restrictions put forth by NC Republicans, such as the ban on abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy, are still in place and aren’t being specifically challenged at this time.
NCGOP’s extremist policies on abortion access are driving out hundreds of much-needed medical professionals from the state. Currently, more than 90% of counties are considered “primary care shortage areas”, and over a quarter of counties lack a single OB-GYN, according to The News & Observer.
With the dismantling of Roe v. Wade and the passage of an extreme abortion ban in North Carolina, pregnant people in the state have found themselves with limited options for accessing reproductive healthcare.