Reproductive Health in the Spotlight

The Powerful Constraints on Medical Care in Catholic Hospitals Across America?

The expansion of Catholic hospitals nationwide leaves patients at the mercy of the church’s religious directives, which are often at odds with accepted medical standards.?

They can be a powerful constraint on the care that patients receive at Catholic hospitals, whether emergency treatment when a woman’s health is at risk, or access to birth control and abortions.?

Share your Catholic hospital story with us.?

How National Political Ambition Could Fuel, or Fail, Initiatives to Protect Abortion Rights in States?

As money flows to abortion rights initiatives in states, some donors focus on where anger over the "Dobbs" ruling could propel voter turnout and spur Democratic victories up and down the ballot, including in key Senate races and the White House.?

Why Hospitals in Many States With Legal Abortion May Refuse To Perform Them?

Many states that tout themselves as protectors of reproductive health care, including California, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, have little-noticed laws on the books protecting hospitals that refuse to provide it.?

The laws shield at least some hospitals from liability for not providing care they object to on religious grounds, leaving little recourse for patients. The providers — many of them Catholic hospitals — generally refuse to perform abortions and sterilizations because the services run contrary to their religious beliefs, but their objections can extend to other kinds of care.?

Joe Biden’s Skittish Support for Abortion Rights?

President Joe Biden spent much of his State of the Union speech on March 7 talking about two subjects central to his reelection campaign while seemingly trying not to name them. One was Donald Trump, or, as Biden called him, “my predecessor.” The other was abortion.?

It’s hardly news that Biden, an 81-year-old devout Catholic, is uncomfortable talking about abortion rights — which he has supported for many years, though not always enthusiastically.?

California Pushes to Expand the Universe of Abortion Care Providers?

A new California law allows trained physician assistants, also called physician associates, to perform first-trimester abortions without the presence of a supervising doctor. The legislation is part of a broader effort by the state to expand access to abortion care, especially in rural areas. Some doctor groups are wary.?

If You’re Poor, Fertility Treatment Can Be Out of Reach?

The roughly?$20,000 price tag?for a round of in vitro fertilization would be a financial stretch for lots of people, but for someone on Medicaid — for which the maximum annual income for a two-person household in New York is just over $26,000 — the treatment can be unattainable.?

A Government Video Would Explain When Abortion Is Legal in South Dakota?

South Dakota allows doctors to terminate a pregnancy only if a patient’s life is in jeopardy. Lawmakers say a government-created video would clarify what that exception actually means.?

Can Family Doctors Deliver Rural America From Its Maternal Health Crisis??

Family medicine doctors already deliver most of rural America’s babies, and efforts to train more in obstetrics care are seen as a way to cope with labor and delivery unit closures.?

New Doula Benefit ‘Life-Changing’ for California Mom?

Doulas, independent workers who act as advocates for birthing parents, have been shown to help prevent pregnancy complications and improve the health of both mothers and babies. California’s Medicaid program started covering their services in 2023, but some doulas say bureaucratic obstacles and inadequate pay prevent their effective use.?

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