Hoosier Health Matters
Season 1, Episode 22
Date: 8/22/2025
Title:  Lived experience: an interview on the personal toll of Indiana's reproductive politics

In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson discuss Indiana public health news and then talk with Amber and Michael Dowd, who share their story of navigating a devastating fetal anomaly diagnosis under Indiana’s abortion laws. Their experience highlights the emotional toll of reproductive politics, the urgency of compassionate care, and the impact of legislation on personal healthcare decisions.

00:00- Intro

2:00- Dr. Vinay Prasad rehired a week after being forced out as the vaccine head at the FDA, highlighting the chaos in HHS

2:32- RFK, Jr. says "trusting experts is not a feature of either science or democracy"

5:04- American Academy of Pediatrics releases vaccine recommendations that are different than that of the CDC (which never happens)

6:56- Indiana abortion ban upheld by Indiana Court of Appeals

8:06- Interview with Amber (Martin) and Michael Dowd about their experience navigating Indiana's abortion ban earlier this year when they received news of a fatal fetal anomaly at 21 weeks.

38:58- Little things/Good vibes (1. develop your own story, and 2. email this episode to your lawmaker!)

40:37- Wrap up

A thanks to Eli Bosslet for editing assistance on this episode.

Thanks for listening!
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