Today is already stressful as is—that’s why we thought it a perfect time for round 6 of our series, SRHR Hero Origin Stories! If you haven’t already, check out our previous episodes, SRHR Hero Origin Stories, SRHR Hero Origin Stories: Round 2, SRHR Hero Origin Stories: Round 3, SRHR Hero Origin Stories: Round 4, and SRHR Origin Stories: Round 5, where we talked to a number of amazing heroes in the field of reproductive health, rights, and justice about how they began working in this space. We hope you enjoy the reprisal of our most popular podcast episode, talking to leaders about their work, passions, and journeys into the field of reproductive health for a fifth time!

Guests include: 

Jennie Wetter – rePROs Fight Back

Shireen Rose Shakouri – Reproaction

Kate Kelly – Center for American Progress

Maniza Habib – Population Institute

Dázon Dixon Diallo – SisterLove, Inc

Sarah Craven – UNFPA 

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On election day, Arizonans can vote to amend the state Constitution to establish the fundamental right to abortion. This amendment, which would undoubtedly increase access to abortion care, is especially salient given that Arizona has become an abortion access battleground state since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Alex Gomez, Executive Director of LUCHA – Living United for Change in Arizona, sits down to talk to us about Proposition 139 and what its possible passage may mean for the future of abortion in the state. 

 Proposition 139, the Right to Abortion Initiative, would enshrine abortion access into the state constitution and conclude that Arizona may not interfere with an individual’s pregnancy before the point of fetal viability (the measure also protects access past fetal viability in cases of protecting the life, physical, or mental health of the pregnant person). In addition, the ballot initiative would prevent punitive laws aimed at people accessing abortion, or those assisting them. 

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Disinformation around reproductive health and rights is highly strategic, leading to pervasive narratives that intentionally divide and control. Anneshia Hardy, scholar-activist, social impact entrepreneur, and narrative strategist, and Executive Director of both Alabama Values and Alabama Values Progress, sits down to talk to us about pervasive narratives and mis- and disinformation surrounding sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), particularly in the Black community, and how busting these narratives is crucial in the fight for bodily autonomy and liberation. 

This conversation is rooted in years of historical context. In the U.S., Black women have faced generations of exploitation and control over their bodies, and much of this exploitation and control exists to this day. Other birthing people, including Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian people, as well as people with disabilities, have also faced reproductive violence in the U.S. Some of the most marginalized communities are also unduly impacted by false narratives around SRHR, including: SRHR is separate from racial justice or only a “woman’s issue”; abortion bans are about “protecting babies,”; or abortion is a moral and religious imperative. Control over our bodies is fundamental to liberation, and these narratives not only impede—but disproportionately so—people’s ability to live freely. 

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From self-care advice to an imaginary performance on the Great British Bake Off, Rachel Fey, Vice President, Policy, and Strategic Partnerships at Power to Decide, asks our host Jennie Wetter a collection of ask me anything (AMA) questions!

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Abortion is a human right—it’s outlined in international treaties and standards that apply to the United States. But even before Roe v. Wade was overturned, the United States was not meeting its human rights obligations. Tarah Demant, National Director of Programs at Amnesty International USA, sits down to talk with us about a new Amnesty report highlighting the status of U.S. abortion access since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court case that overturned Roe. 

Because of Dobbs, and in partnership with subsequent state-based abortion bans, millions of people are facing increased barriers to abortion care. These barriers are, and always have been, disproportionately faced by different populations and communities in the U.S. Some elements that are impacting access to care post-Roe include the logistical and financial costs of travel, in-person requirements, the rise in pregnancy criminalization, and the criminalization of medical professionals and advocates. With exceptions (which do not provide as much flexibility as made to seem) stacked on top of these cases, access is incredibly difficult to achieve. Learn more in the Amnesty International USA report, accessible in the links section below.

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The Global Gag Rule (GGR) prevents foreign non-governmental organizations that receive U.S. foreign assistance funds from providing, advocating for, counseling on, or referring for abortion services—and has successfully done so for 40 years. Beirne Roose-Snyder, Senior Director at the Preclusion Project, and Bergen Cooper, Senior Research Advisor at the Preclusion Project and Chief Operating Officer with the Torchlight Collective, sit down to talk with us about the history of this destructive policy, its long and heart-wrenching impacts, and what the future of the GGR might look like.  

The GGR, introduced in 1984 by President Ronald Raegan, is a presidential memorandum that is either reinstated or revoked depending on which political party is in the Oval Office. In 2017, the rule was expanded by the Trump administration to apply to all global heath assistance funding. The GGR has, and continues to, affect LGBTQI populations, people living in rural areas, people living with disabilities, sex workers, and healthcare providers, when accessing or providing abortion, contraception, gender-based violence care, HIV /AIDS care, STI care, and more. With the possibility of a change in administration coming soon, the GGR under Project 2025 may extend its reach farther and worsen outcomes.

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 Next week, the Supreme Court term will begin. While there are no abortion cases on the docket yet, there are many cases that concern sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice and the rights of the LGBTQI+ community. Jessica Mason Pieklo, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor at Rewire News Group and co-host of Rewire News Group's podcast Boom! Lawyered, sits down to talk with us about some cases that face SCOTUS this term, as well as potential cases to keep a careful eye on.  

United States v. Skrimetti, which will be before the Court this term, involves challenges to Kentucky and Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, and whether those bans violate the equal protection clause of the Constitution. In addition, some cases that could make their way up the docket include a grouping of conservative attorneys general are attempting to bring back challenges to mifepristone access, Idaho’s resurrection of EMTALA challenges, and Oklahoma’s appeal to challenge the Biden administration on requirements for Title X funding. Lastly, a petition currently sits before the Supreme Court that could potentially end the case that green-lit wrongful death suits related to invitro fertilization in Alabama. 

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Economics and reproductive health and rights are connected issues. Especially in states where abortion is banned and contraception faces increasing attacks, associated costs for care can vary widely. Kate Bahn, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, sits down to talk with us about the economic impacts of attacks to reproductive health and rights—on an individual, local, and national level.

Access (or lack thereof) to abortion and contraception can carry a host of indirect and direct financial consequences. Costs from traveling to access abortion, obtaining childcare, and booking lodging can impact how people make their reproductive choices. Individuals can also be financially impacted by unplanned fertility outcomes, such as having a child at a time when they were not planning to. To learn more, you can find our podcast episode on the Turnaway Study with Dr. Diana Greene Foster here. Other financial considerations should also be afforded to those undergoing invitro fertilization and navigating miscarriage. In addition, research shows that those who have access to contraception and abortion experience more flexibility and exploration in academic and professional opportunities. 

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The Equal Rights Amendment, an amendment to the Constitution, protects people from discrimination on the basis of sex. Kate Kelly, Senior Director of the Women’s Initiative at the Center for American Progress, sits down to talk with us all about the Equal Rights Amendment—its history, its importance for abortion access preservation, and what’s necessary for certification.  

The ERA, passed in 1923, is not a law but a constitutional amendment. Once put in, it cannot be removed. The ERA’s introduction and popularity became a target for the conservative right, and its ratification has faced barriers ever since, including during the Trump administration. The current Federal Register archivist has said in her confirmation hearings that she will not certify anything she isn’t instructed to, which leaves the U.S. at its current standing. Many organizations and Congresspeople, though, are pushing for the ERA’s introduction into the Constitution as the 28th amendment. 

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The Midwest is a patchwork of different abortion laws—while some states like Michigan and Minnesota have protected access, others have completely banned care, like Indiana and Missouri. Garnet Henderson, Senior Multiplatform Reporter at Rewire News Group and host and producer of ACCESS: A Podcast About Abortion, sits down to talk with us about abortion access in the Midwest, including how it may be further impacted by recent funding changes to the National Abortion Federation and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

People residing in or near states that have banned abortion often travel to Illinois for care (although some may also travel to states like Nebraska, Minnesota, and Kansas), which was the state with the single largest increase in its abortion rate after Dobbs due to out-of-state travelers. These states are having to absorb skyrocketing rates of traveling patients on top of in-state patients seeking care. Iowa’s abortion restrictions and abysmal access rates to OB/GYN care and maternity care has resulted in maternity care deserts across large swaths of the state, and a shocking 61% of hospitals in rural areas having no labor and delivery service. Simultaneously, the Justice Fund, a financial assistance fund for low-income patients which is shared between PPFA and NAF, has been reduced with less than a month’s notice from 50% coverage per patient to 30%. This leaves patients with an even more shrunken lifeline to access.

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