With the landscape of abortion access changing almost daily in the United States, hundreds of thousands of people are not receiving the basic healthcare they need. Danika Severino Wynn, midwife and VP of Abortion Access with Planned Parenthood Federation of America, talks to us about the current state of abortion access in the U.S. and how different states and communities are disproportionately feeling the harm of restrictions and bans.

Recent Podcasts

Abortion is still legal in more than half of U.S. states, but many people may not be able to access the care they need in the states they live in. As criminalization of pregnancy and abortion becomes increasingly normalized, there are a number of legal considerations to keep in mind when looking for care remembering that those already marginalized are most at risk for criminalization. Rafa Kidvai, Director of the Legal Defense Fund at If/When/How and Liz Ling, Senior Helpline Counsel at If/When/How, talk to us about the new landscape of abortion access in the U.S. and how someone can go about safely and reliably accessing an abortion.

There has been a flurry of executive and Congressional action after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade. Leila Abolfazli, Director of Federal Reproductive Rights at the National Women’s Law Center, sits down to talk with us about executive and Congressional measures being taken on abortion rights in the United States.

Television and film often allow people to make sense of the world. With abortion being center stage in many national conversations and with so many myths circulating about this type of care, it is especially important that TV and film represent abortion stories accurately. Steph Herold, researcher studying abortion in television and film at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), sits down to talk with us about abortion depictions onscreen and what Hollywood could include in storytelling to be more representative of those seeking abortion care.

After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the federal right to abortion was eliminated and sent back to individual states. The United States is now seeing a state-by-state patchwork of laws, court challenges, and disparate barriers to abortion access. Garnet Henderson, independent journalist and host and producer of ACCESS: A Podcast About Abortion, sits down to talk with us about the on-the-ground chaos after the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and myths around adoption as an alternative for abortion.

The ways in which abortion is often publicly debated can result in the harmful depiction of the experience of ending a pregnancy in overly simplistic terms. Rev. Katey Zeh, CEO of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, and Author of A Complicated Choice: Making Space for Grief and Healing in the Pro-Choice Movement, talks to us about her new book, the myths and stigma that people must wade through when getting an abortion, and the vast amount of feelings and experiences many people may have when accessing care.

On Friday, June 24th, 2022, the Supreme Court released their decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, where they rejected 50 years of precedent by overturning Roe v. Wade. The decision eliminates the federal right to abortion access and sends it back to the states to decide. This will decimate abortion access in this country, as 26 states are likely to ban abortion in the wake of this decision. Kylie Cheung, staff writer at Jezebel, joins us to talk about the decision and what it means going forward.

As the future of Roe looks increasingly shaky, the implications of its overturning could result in a number of outcomes-- some of which may not immediately occur to many of us. Pamela Merritt, Executive Director of Medical Students for Choice, talks to us about what the likely overturning of Roe v. Wade may mean for criminalization, health outcomes, and abortion education and training for medical students and residents.

From how we are preparing for the forthcoming Supreme Court ruling to how we are dealing with burnout, Tarah Demant, Interim National Director of Programs, Advocacy, and Government Affairs at Amnesty International USA, shares her thoughts on the current moment in reproductive health, rights, and justice and asks host Jennie Wetter a plethora of ask me anything (AMA) questions!

In the 2022 state legislative session, over 500 abortion restrictions were introduced, with many extreme and restrictive anti-abortion bills passing. Rachel Sussman, Vice President of State Policy and Advocacy at Planned Parenthood Action Fund, talks to us about what the recent Supreme Court leak that threatens Roe v. Wade means for multiple states in the South and Midwest United States.