Republican Abortion Bans are a Direct Attack on Reproductive Freedom for All Americans

Extremist politicians are grossly out of step with the majority of Americans who want to protect abortion access

Washington, DC — During last night’s Republican presidential debate, we heard politician after politician double down on their support for abortion bans and echo their relentless attacks on our reproductive freedom. Recent polling shows that a majority of Americans believe access to abortion is at risk in this country and are concerned about the threat to access abortion in their own state. Sixty-four percent of those same respondents also worry that Republicans, if in a position to do so, would pass a federal abortion ban. Free & Just Senior Campaign Director Chrystian Woods released the following statement:

“Republicans continue to embrace an extreme agenda that puts our freedoms and rights at very serious risk, and there is no sign of them charting a different course. We know, however, that the majority of American people reject this assault on our reproductive freedom — that abortion bans, laws to prosecute patients and providers are deeply unpopular and have nothing to do with protecting anyone’s health or safety. We need lawmakers who will defend our freedoms rather than out-of-touch politicians who pass ban after ban further stripping away the right to safe and legal abortion, regardless of the consequences to real people.

“That’s why at Free & Just we’re committed to elevating the personal stories of people seeking abortions and health care providers impacted by these restrictive laws, and demonstrating what is at stake as anti-abortion activists and lawmakers continue to launch attacks on our freedom. It’s time to speak out. Our freedom won’t be handed back to us – we have to raise our voices and tell our stories.”

Reactions from the debate only reinforced what we’ve heard through polling data surveying the American public: Support for abortion rights and protecting people’s reproductive freedom has increased since Roe fell last year, and two of out three Americans are against a national ban on abortion.  

If you would like to interview Free & Just Senior Campaign Director Chrystian Woods for a story, please email ashley.quenneville@thehubproject.org.

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About Free & Just
Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future. Follow Free & Just on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

ICYMI: I’m an Aspiring OB-GYN. Here Is Why I Won’t Do My Residency in Any State With an Abortion Ban.

In new op-ed, American Medical Students Association President, Rohini Kousalya Siva, explains how abortion bans drive health care providers away from communities in need

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – In a new op-ed in Ms. Magazine, Rohini Kousalya Siva, MD, MPH, MS, is explaining her decision to avoid OB-GYN residency programs in states with abortion bans.

Rohini, who serves as the President of the American Medical Students Association, plans to practice obstetrics and gynecology and is preparing to apply to residency programs, but finds her options limited by abortion bans in states across the country. Like many young professionals, Rohini is disappointed that the career she has worked so hard for is already being undermined by anti-abortion lawmakers.

In her piece, Rohini explains that training in abortion care is essential for OB-GYNs – training she would not receive if she completes her residency in a state where abortion is banned. 

"Abortion care is essential health care, and my training would be incomplete without the opportunity to provide these services to patients. I did not spend four years working hard in medical school to deprive myself as a resident of these essential learning opportunities."

Rohini's op-ed follows the release of a new March of Dimes report showing that nearly 6 million women across the US live in maternity care deserts, defined as "any county in the United States without a hospital or birth center offering obstetric care and without any obstetric providers." Though nearly every state has a county that is considered a maternity care desert, with the highest prevalence in Midwestern and Southern states, aspiring health care providers like Rohini are being driven away from these communities by anti-abortion extremists.

"The U.S. faces a shortage of OB-GYNs and in fact all specialty doctors—and it’s only expected to get worse in the years ahead. I know how important access to reproductive healthcare is and I want to be part of the solution—but lawmakers in states like Georgia and Wisconsin are standing in the way. "

Rohini is not alone. Research from Ariana Traub at Emory University highlighted in a new TIME article shows that nearly 80% of third and fourth year medical students surveyed in 2022 said that abortion laws affected where they planned to apply to residency programs. Almost 60% of the students surveyed said they were “unlikely to apply to any residency programs in states with abortion restrictions” – meaning many communities will remain without access to local providers. The new reporting from TIME illustrates just how devastating limited access to OB-GYN care can be for patients. 

Rohini's decision to avoid residency programs in states with abortion bans confirms that ongoing attacks on abortion rights and OB-GYNs will only exacerbate this crisis, and leave more patients without essential, and sometimes life-saving care.

You can read Rohini's op-ed in Ms. Magazine here. If you’re interested in speaking with Rohini, please reach out to zoe@freeandjust.us. 

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New Billboards Across Nebraska Expose the Dangers of the State's Abortion Ban as Women Face Prosecution

OMAHA, NE – Today, five new billboards across Nebraska's second Congressional District are highlighting the harms of the state's abortion ban, as women seeking abortion face prosecution in the state. These billboards will be followed by digital ads and more as Free & Just continues to highlight the impact in Nebraska and across the country of the harm of extreme abortion bans in post-Dobbs America.The billboards from Free & Just follow the sentencing of a Nebraska teen who used abortion pills to terminate a pregnancy in April 2022. The teen was sentenced to 90 days in jail for terminating her pregnancy beyond the state's prior 20-week abortion ban, and her mother faces up to five years in prison for assisting her then 17 year old daughter in terminating her pregnancy. 

Abortion in Nebraska is banned after 12 weeks, and women may face criminal charges for seeking care beyond this period. This case also signals the state's intent to prosecute those who help a patient seeking abortion care, a dangerous and alarming trend observed in other states like Idaho and Texas. 

As the new billboards go up across NE-02, Chrystian Woods, Senior Campaign Director at Free & Just released the following statement: 

"Nebraskans need to know just how far anti-abortion extremists in their state are willing to go to punish women who have abortions. These billboards expose the cruel and dangerous nature of prosecuting people seeking abortion care, and are a stark reminder of what's at stake for women across the country as legislatures continue to pass extreme abortion bans."

The billboards are located at five locations across Omaha:

• S/S I-80 w/o 99TH STREET - FW

• S/S I-80 .3m w/o 42ND STREET - FW

• S/S I-80 w/o 99TH STREET - FE

• NW CORNER of 108TH & MAPLE - FE

• S/S I-80 .2m w/o 72ND STREET - FE

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ICYMI: American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) Forcing OBGYNs to Texas for Certifying Exams Amid Escalating Anti-Choice Violence

OBGYNs seeking board certification fear violence, harassment, and even prosecution as ABOG holds certifying exams in Texas 

DALLAS — As anti-choice violence surges following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology (ABOG), which certifies OBGYNs across the country, is forcing doctors seeking board certification to complete their exams in one of the most dangerous states for OBGYNs: Texas.

According to new reporting from Jessica Valenti, OBGYNs across the country recently received notice from ABOG that they are expected to complete their certifying exams in Texas, where abortion is banned without exception for rape or incest, and private citizens can sue providers and anyone who assists patients seeking an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. For OBGYNs like Dr. Joseph Ottolenghi, who practices in New York City and provides abortion care, traveling to Texas for board certification could mean risking arrest or worse. 

While ABOG says abortion providers traveling to Texas from out of state “should not be at legal risk,” many remain unconvinced, particularly as anti-choice officials in the state, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, signal their intent to prosecute providers and patients, even going so far as to pressure the Biden administration for access to medical records of those who get out-of-state abortions.

Hostile abortion laws drive providers out of communities in need, exacerbate the OBGYN shortage, and undermine access to health care. In Texas, researchers estimate that since the state's abortion ban went into effect in September 2021, nearly 10,000 additional infants were born between April and December 2022. This significant increase in live births poses a unique problem as physicians are driven out of the state by anti-abortion lawmakers. The added stress on labor and delivery resources across Texas has real implications for patients who deserve better. 

And, of course, it’s not just Texas where OBGYN's feel threatened — in Wisconsin, where the legitimacy of an 1849 law criminalizing abortion is being litigated, some OBGYNs are fearful that simply practicing medicine as they were trained could land them in legal trouble. Some have even been forced to cross into Minnesota to continue working, as anti-choice lawmakers and activists continue targeting patients and providers.OBGYNs and abortion providers are already facing enormous obstacles to providing care to patients in need, and institutional support from organizations like the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology is more important than ever. 

You can read Jessica Valenti's piece on ABOG's certification exams in Texas here.

If you are interested in connecting with someone experiencing professional challenges at the hands of anti-abortion lawmakers, I am happy to put you in touch with Rohini Kousalya Siva, MD MPH MS, the President of the American Medical Students Association. Rohini is a fourth year medical student who plans to practice obstetrics and gynecology and is preparing to apply to residency programs, but finds her options limited by restrictive abortion policy in states across the country. Like many young professionals, Rohini is disappointed that the career she has worked so hard for is already being undermined by anti-choice lawmakers.

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