Sarah Hanson’s Post

Dozens of pregnant women, some bleeding or in labor, are turned away from ERs despite federal law | WASHINGTON (AP) — Bleeding and in pain, Kyleigh Thurman didn’t know her doomed pregnancy could kill her. [AP] Emergency room doctors at Ascension Seton Williamson in Texas handed her a pamphlet on miscarriage and told her to “let nature take its course” before discharging her without treatment for her ectopic pregnancy. When she returned three days later, still bleeding, doctors finally agreed to give her an injection to end the pregnancy. It was too late. The fertilized egg growing on Thurman’s fallopian tube ruptured it, destroying part of her reproductive system. That’s according to a complaint Thurman and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed last week asking the government to investigate whether the hospital violated federal law when staff failed to treat her initially in February 2023. “I was left to flail,” said Thurman, 35. “It was nothing short of being misled.” The Biden administration says hospitals must offer abortions when needed to save a woman’s life, despite state bans enacted after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion more than two years ago. Texas is challenging that guidance and, earlier this summer, the Supreme Court declined to resolve the issue. More than 100 pregnant women in medical distress who sought help from emergency rooms were turned away or negligently treated since 2022, an Associated Press analysis of federal hospital investigations found. Two women — one in Florida and one in Texas — were left to miscarry in public restrooms. In Arkansas, a woman went into septic shock and her fetus died after an emergency room sent her home. At least four other women with ectopic pregnancies had trouble getting treatment, including one in California who needed a blood transfusion after she sat for nine hours in an emergency waiting room. More>https://lnkd.in/e57H3Ntj #maternalhealth #publichealth #communityhealth #populationhealth #medicine #healthcare #dental

Dozens of pregnant women, some bleeding or in labor, are turned away from ERs despite federal law | WASHINGTON (AP) — Bleeding and in pain, Kyleigh Thurman didn’t know her doomed pregnancy could kill her. [AP] Emergency room doctors at Ascension Seton Williamson in Texas handed her a pamphlet on miscarriage and told her to “let nature take its course” before discharging her without treatment for her ectopic pregnancy. When she returned three days later, still bleeding, doctors finally agreed to give her an injection to end the pregnancy. It was too late. The fertilized egg growing on Thurman’s fallopian tube ruptured it, destroying part of her reproductive system. That’s according to a complaint Thurman and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed last week asking the government to investigate whether the hospital violated federal law when staff failed to treat her initially in February 2023. “I was left to flail,” said Thurman, 35. “It was nothing short of being misled.” The Biden administration says hospitals must offer abortions when needed to save a woman’s life, despite state bans enacted after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion more than two years ago. Texas is challenging that guidance and, earlier this summer, the Supreme Court declined to resolve the issue. More than 100 pregnant women in medical distress who sought help from emergency rooms were turned away or negligently treated since 2022, an Associated Press analysis of federal hospital investigations found. Two women — one in Florida and one in Texas — were left to miscarry in public restrooms. In Arkansas, a woman went into septic shock and her fetus died after an emergency room sent her home. At least four other women with ectopic pregnancies had trouble getting treatment, including one in California who needed a blood transfusion after she sat for nine hours in an emergency waiting room. More>https://lnkd.in/e57H3Ntj #maternalhealth #publichealth #communityhealth #populationhealth #medicine #healthcare #dental  

🗳️ Why This Election Matters for Single Mothers by Choice 🗳️ As a Single Mother by Choice, I know the journey to parenthood isn’t always straightforward. For many of us, IVF and fertility treatments have made it possible to build our families, our way. But the freedom to choose this path isn’t guaranteed—it depends on leadership that respects reproductive rights and embraces family diversity. Kamala Harris has been a consistent advocate for reproductive freedom, including our right to access IVF and fertility treatments. Her vision protects our ability to build families in ways that best suit our circumstances and values. To me, this isn’t just about medical freedom; it’s about honoring the right to create families on our own terms. Yes, I’m being so bold as to publicly advocate for a candidate on a professional network. As single mothers by choice, many of us share the desire to protect our reproductive freedom and the rights that allowed us to have our children. I’ll be clear: I will NEVER support a party or candidate that seeks to curtail my reproductive rights and would have made having my son impossible. While I aim to connect with single mothers by choice and aspiring SMBCs everywhere and my work as a nonprofit/social impact consultant is global, I’m also a U.S. citizen. For me, this election is a do-or-die moment, a time to vote for leaders who champion our right to make the personal, powerful choice of motherhood, in the way that is best for us. Let’s use our voices to make sure we protect the right to be mothers, our way. VOTE. #ReproductiveRights #IVFRights #SingleMothersByChoice #FreedomToChoose #VoteForReproductiveFreedom #KamalaHarris #EmpoweredMotherhood #EveryVoteMatters

There's been a lot of chatter recently about how the fertility industry is a "Wild West" that needs reining in. What we've talked less about is how headline-grabbing fertility mistakes (embryo mix-ups, destructions and the like) have created an opening for anti-abortion activists to argue for rules that could actually restrict access to IVF. Fertility treatments are at a perilous crossroads: Critics argue that the industry suffers from regulatory blindspots that leave it vulnerable to errors, yet more rules could threaten access to IVF at a time it’s already seen as the next target in the nation’s erosion of reproductive rights. https://lnkd.in/eFc9M6wE

Today, we learned that the Turkish Ministry of Health announced a plan called the Natural Birth Action Plan. https://lnkd.in/eZQbTcM2 "Deciding how or whether women should give birth, when they should do so, or how many children they should have is not the role of the state. Let us remind everyone: The state's duty is to ensure women's bodily and reproductive rights and to protect their autonomy over their own bodies and lives. The government should first create sustainable, comprehensive, and equitable mechanisms and policies for the care work that falls upon us during this economic crisis it has led us into! It should remove the de facto bans on our right to abortion, which is rightfully ours! Our bodies, our decisions. We are not backing down." I fully support this message from Women for Women's Human Rights (WWHR) Here you go, this is the Ministry of Health's scandalous public service announcement. https://lnkd.in/es44PTvQ Do you know what this message is saying? Or what it means? 1- If you do not have a natural birth, you cannot establish a healthy bond with your baby, or at least not as well as those who have a natural birth. 2- Those who give birth via C-section cannot start breastfeeding immediately – which is entirely incorrect; I know because I did. 3- A C-section is not a healthy form of delivery – again, this is incorrect information. 4- In practice, over time (assuming hospitals will be given targets in this regard), the phrase "unless medically necessary" effectively means that natural birth will become mandatory. 5- Maternal mortality rates will increase. #ourbodiesourdesicions #mybodymychoice

IVF: A Legacy Under Siege: Hope, Access, and the Fight for Reproductive Freedom In vitro fertilization (IVF) has revolutionized family planning. After  six years of painstaking research, in 1944 scientist Miriam Menkin became the first person to fertilize an egg outside the body, a monumental achievement that paved the way for this life-changing technology. Today, thanks to IVF, women can pursue professional careers and delay families until it’s the right time for them; and, millions struggling with infertility, same-sex couples and single people can create families. However, recent legal decisions, like the Alabama Supreme Court's ruling in LePage v. Center for Reproductive Medicine, threaten access to IVF. This decision recognizes frozen embryos as “extrauterine persons," jeopardizing not only IVF but also potentially impacting hormonal based birth control and abortion rights. The fight for reproductive freedom is far from over. We must ensure everyone has the autonomy to make choices about their bodies and families. Can we safeguard this right and the legacy of IVF for future generations? #IVF #ReproductiveRights #bcvoices

Thank God for Pregnancy Help Centers. Without them, so many more women would choose abortion instead of choosing life. RESPONDING to the immediate needs of women facing unexpected pregnancies, these centers constitute the nationwide infrastructure we need in order to win the war against the abortion industrial complex. But responding is not sufficient to win. Our post-Roe strategy has to focus on PREVENTION. And the news here is very good. 6 of 10 women who get abortions say they actually wanted to choose life. This means that if those women had known about the support available to them at pregnancy help centers they would have chosen life. The problem we have to solve is that the women didn’t know about the support available to them. And they still don’t know. We need effective BRANDING campaigns to make sure they know. https://lnkd.in/gHKbd5_k

Regarding the MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy) Act of 2021 amendment: The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021 was passed by the Parliament of India and received the assent of the President on 25th March 2021. Some key changes introduced by the 2021 amendment include: 1. Increase in the gestation limit: The upper gestation limit for termination of pregnancy has been increased from 20 weeks to 24 weeks for certain categories of women. 2. Opinion of one provider required: For termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks, the opinion of one provider is now required instead of two. 3. Expansion of access: The amendment allows women to access abortion services on therapeutic, eugenic, humanitarian or social grounds. 4. Confidentiality: The amendment mandates the maintenance of confidentiality and protection of the privacy of a woman whose pregnancy is terminated. 5. Constitution of Medical Board: A Medical Board has to be constituted by the state government for the purposes of this Act. The amendment aims to provide greater reproductive rights and access to safe abortion services for women in India. The specific details and implementation may vary across different states. Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions!

On August 18, 1960, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Enovid, the first oral contraceptive pill, marking a monumental milestone in the history of women's health and reproductive rights. This approval was the culmination of years of research and development, spearheaded by a team of scientists including Gregory Pincus and John Rock, and backed by activist Margaret Sanger, whose advocacy for birth control helped to ignite the project. The introduction of 'the pill' as it came to be known, offered women unprecedented control over their fertility, opening new avenues for family planning and contributing significantly to the sexual revolution of the 1960s. It also sparked intense debate and resistance, highlighting the intersection of science, politics, and morality in reproductive health. Over the decades, the development and refinement of oral contraceptives have continued to transform women's health, offering a range of options to suit individual needs and preferences. The pill's introduction remains a watershed moment, symbolizing a leap forward in women's autonomy over their bodies and lives. #milestonesinhistory #medicalhistory #womenshealth #reproductiverights #thepill #birthcontrolrevolution #gregorypincus #margaretsanger

On August 18, 1960, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Enovid, the first oral contraceptive pill, marking a monumental milestone in the history of women's health and reproductive rights. This approval was the culmination of years of research and development, spearheaded by a team of scientists including Gregory Pincus and John Rock, and backed by activist Margaret Sanger, whose advocacy for birth control helped to ignite the project. The introduction of 'the pill' as it came to be known, offered women unprecedented control over their fertility, opening new avenues for family planning and contributing significantly to the sexual revolution of the 1960s. It also sparked intense debate and resistance, highlighting the intersection of science, politics, and morality in reproductive health. Over the decades, the development and refinement of oral contraceptives have continued to transform women's health, offering a range of options to suit individual needs and preferences. The pill's introduction remains a watershed moment, symbolizing a leap forward in women's autonomy over their bodies and lives. #milestonesinhistory #medicalhistory #womenshealth #reproductiverights #thepill #birthcontrolrevolution #gregorypincus #margaretsanger