Earlier this month, Kentucky became the state with the harshest abortion restrictions in the U.S. by enacting a law that makes it nearly possible to get an abortion. Oklahoma has enacted similar but slightly less harsh restrictions – banning abortions in all cases except for those in which there is a medical or life-threatening need to terminate a pregnancy.
In Texas, a woman faces murder charges after a “self-induced abortion.”
Republican lawmakers across the country are on a mission to limit women’s access to reproductive healthcare.
In Maryland, however, lawmakers passed House Bill 937, more popularly known as the Abortion Care Access Act, allowing health care providers other than physicians to perform abortions. The bill also hopes to diversify the pool of providers performing abortions.
And last month, Governor Newsom of California signed SB 245, legislation eliminating out-of-pocket costs for abortion services.
Reproductive justice is a public health issue; social, political, and economic implications are associated with allowing women to decide if (and how and when) they wish to become mothers.
On the third floor of the Dittrick Medical History Museum, artifacts from the past such as leech jars and early medical devices lead an exhibit on the history of contraception. The display reveals longstanding ignorance of essential facts of human conception.
The exhibit explores the influence of religion on contraception and the sometimes-dangerous measures individuals took to prevent pregnancy.
June will be the 50th anniversary of Title IX, a landmark civil rights law that bans gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment. 1972 was not that long ago, which shows there is still much work to be done in protecting reproductive rights.
To have complete and meaningful control over one’s body is an essential and fundamental right.
If you ever find yourself in Cleveland, I highly recommend making a quick trip to Case Western Reserve’s campus to explore the Dittrick Medical History Museum.
