18% of maternal deaths in Malawi are due to complications from unsafe abortion. Malawi also consistently fights against child marriage, gender-based violence, and maternal mortality. Emma Kaliya, director of the Malawi Human Rights Resource Center and Chair of the Coalition for Prevention of Unsafe Abortion in Malawi and Brian Ligomeka, head of Center for Solutions Journalism, talk to us about the sexual and reproductive health and rights landscape in Malawi.
Read MoreAttacks on abortion access don’t just occur at the federal level— in fact, by the end of 2019, 25 abortion restrictions had been passed on state legislatures around the country. While some states are working overtime to limit reproductive health and rights, some are working just as hard to protect them. To address this divide on reproductive health and rights around the country, we sit down to talk with Sophia Kerby with the State Innovation Exchange.
Read MoreThe Supreme Court case June Medical Services vs. Russo is being argued today, March 4th, 2020. Dr. Nisha Verma, an OB-GYN and abortion provider, and Stephanie Goodell, a patient treated by Dr. Verma, share their story. Another storyteller, Hannah, tells us what it’s like to access abortion care in the state of Louisiana. As the Supreme Court rules on the future of abortion access in the United States, we hope that Dr. Verma, Stephanie Goodell, and Hannah’s stories will highlight the importance of abortion access without frivolous limitations on this week’s bonus episode.
Read MoreOn March 4th, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear a case June Medical Services LLC vs. Russo. This case will examine a Louisiana “admitting privileges” law that would leave only one abortion provider to operate in the entire state. It could also set a dangerous precedent for the future of abortion access across the United States. Julie Rikelman, one of the lead counsels with the Center for Reproductive Rights who will be arguing the case in front of the Supreme Court, talks to us about the impact of this all-important Supreme Court case.
Read MoreMedicaid is both a federal and state health coverage program that serves certain low-income people. It is not the same program as Medicare, which is a health coverage program for older Americans over 65 and some with certain disabilities. Jamille Fields Allsbrook, Director of Women’s Health and Rights at the Center for American Progress, sits down with us to talk all things Medicaid and how protecting this program can benefit the reproductive health and rights of folks around the U.S.
Read MoreThe United States is an extremely unstable landscape when it comes to being pregnant and giving birth. Black women, in accessing abortion care, tend to face more geographic, transportation, infrastructure, and economic barriers. And Black women are three to four times more likely to die from causes related to childbirth and pregnancy. Jessica Pinckney with In Our Own Voice talks to us about the abortion access and maternal health crisis that Black women face on a daily basis in the United States.
Read MoreIf you’ve been driving down the highway or taking public transportation and seen a “Pregnant? Need help?” sign, you’ve likely seen an advertisement for a crisis pregnancy center (CPC). Crisis pregnancy centers are anti-abortion, fake clinics. The purpose is to mislead, shame, and dissuade people seeking abortion care from getting the care that they want and need. We sit down with Erin Matson, co-founder and co-director of Reproaction to talk about how dangerous these centers can be.
Read MoreThis year, states around the country passed 6-week abortion bans, critical cases on reproductive health and rights and LGBTQ rights reached the Supreme Court, targeted regulation of abortion provider (TRAP) laws have passed through statehouses around the country, and violence and harassment outside clinics have risen. Lauren Rankin, freelance writer and clinic escort, sits down to talk with us about the ups and downs of reproductive health in 2019.
Read MoreEvery day in the U.S., there seems to be a new attack on reproductive health and rights. Still, it is important to remember that the U.S.’ policies also impact sexual and reproductive health and rights for populations abroad. Bergen Cooper with Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) sits down with us to talk about their organization’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Index, which grades the U.S. on its international reproductive health policies.
Read MoreThis week we are doing things a little differently! Long time listeners have probably heard our first SRHR Hero Origin Stories podcast, where we talked to a number of amazing heroes in the field of reproductive health, rights, and justice and heard about how they began working in this space. We have reprised one of our most popular podcast episodes and talked to more leaders about their work, their passions, and their journeys into reproductive health!
Read MoreAcross the United States, the overall state of sex education is inconsistent, inaccurate, and non-inclusive. Less than 40% of high schools and only 14% of middle schools meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for sex education. Chris Harley, President and CEO at the SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, talks to us about why we need sex education that is medically-accurate, inclusive of all genders and sexual orientations, and stresses topics like consent, healthy relationships, and more.
Read MoreThe term ‘contraceptive desert’ refers to an area that lacks reasonable access to a clinic that does not have a full range of birth control methods There are 19.5 million women (but remember, it isn’t just women who require access to contraception), who have low-incomes and lack reasonable access to a clinic in their county that offers a full range of birth control methods. Within those 19.5 million women live 1.6 million women that live in a county that does not have a single clinic that offers a range of contraceptive methods. Rachel Fey with Power to Decide talks to us about contraceptive deserts in the U.S. and why it is extremely important to expand access to birth control.
Read MoreThe Supreme Court is officially back in session, which means that cases on LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive rights will come before the bench. Katelyn Burns, a freelance journalist covering LGBTQ and reproductive health issues and the first openly transgender reporter on Capitol Hill joins us to talk about the LGBTQ+ cases that the Supreme Court has already heard this term, and the reproductive rights cases that will be presented before them in the spring.
Read MoreStudents are headed back to school on university campuses across the country, and that means they are seeking healthcare services, including reproductive healthcare. Unfortunately, many students will find it difficult to access the reproductive healthcare that they need. Lauren Morrissey and Christina Frasik, co-founders of the Student Coalition for Reproductive Justice (SCRJ), sit down to talk with us about expanding student’s access to critical sexual and reproductive healthcare on campuses across the United States!
Read MoreUnder the Trump administration, there have been countless assaults on the health and rights of the LGBTQ community. From religious refusals to blatant discrimination, Julie Gonen with the National Center for Lesbian Rights talks to us about how the Trump administration is attacking LGBTQ rights through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Read MoreThe Trump-Pence administration has been attacking reproductive health and rights since taking office, but the most recent assault has been on the nation’s Title X program. In fact, Planned Parenthood (which provides care to about 40 percent of the country’s 4 million Title X patients) has been forced to withdraw from the program. Jack Rayburn with the Planned Parenthood Federation of America talks to us about Planned Parenthood, Title X, and what we can do to fight back against these attacks on funding for reproductive health care.
Read MoreIt’s important to know if your hospital has a religious affiliation because it can possibly impact the care you receive. Catholic hospitals make up a huge swath of the U.S. healthcare system; in fact, 1 in 6 acute-care hospital beds are located in a Catholic health facility. Amy Littlefield, an investigative reporter with Rewire.News, sits down with us to talk about the ways Catholic hospitals work to restrict reproductive healthcare.
Read MoreYou can’t talk about providing reproductive and sexual health care without talking about gender inequality, and you can’t talk about gender inequality without talking about sexual and reproductive health. In Mozambique, 20,000 + women and girls have received gender-based violence services from facilities supported by Pathfinder International, and the organization is on the ground providing access to reproductive health care and building a strong local response to gender-based violence. Estrella Alcalde with Pathfinder International Mozambique talks to us about the ways gender norms impact access to SRH care, and vice versa.
Read MoreThe State Department has recently set up a “Commission on Inalienable Rights” that worries reproductive rights advocates, LGBTQ+ advocates, and human rights advocates. Amanda Klasing, acting Co-Director of the Women’s Rights Division with the Human Rights Watch, and Tarah Demant, Director of the Gender, Sexuality, and Identity program with Amnesty International USA sit down to talk with us about why we should be worried about the State Department’s new commission.
Read MoreHumanitarian settings refer to a place where there has been a man-made or natural disaster. When these disasters strike, populations are often forced to leave their communities or country, and are forced to resettle. While people indeed need food, shelter, and water in humanitarian settings, there are also special reproductive health needs that women and adolescent girls face. Julianne Deitch with the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) sits down with us to talk about these specific reproductive health needs for adolescent girls in humanitarian settings.
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