Fighting Misinformation About Abortion in the US, Part 3

Transcript:

Welcome back to our series, The Facts You Need to Know to Fight False Claims About Abortion in the US. In this video, we are going to pivot and talk about abortion bans, restrictions on access, and the ripple effects on other critical types of reproductive health care. First and foremost, it's important for you to know that abortion restrictions do not reduce the need for abortion.

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, the number of abortions provided by US clinicians has only increased, underscoring the ongoing need for abortion care, even as bans and restrictions continue to prevent many people from accessing care in their own communities. You're likely familiar with abortion ban exceptions, like the ones that allow for abortion in cases of medical emergencies or pregnancies resulting from sexual assault.

To be clear, abortion ban exceptions exist to make bans seem less cruel than they are. They do not ensure people receive the care they need. Exception laws interfere in medical decision-making, and even when states allow narrow exceptions, bans and legal risks still make it difficult for people with severe pregnancy complications or survivors of sexual violence to get abortion care.

Abortion bans have also impacted other kinds of reproductive health care, including for pregnancy loss. Anti-abortion policymakers have attempted to carve out pregnancy loss care from the legal definition of abortion, even though the medical care required after the loss of a pregnancy often looks the same. Make no mistake, the best way to ensure essential care for people in medical emergencies and for those who have experienced sexual violence is to expand and protect abortion access for all.

Additionally, restrictions on abortion care don't just impact people's access to abortion. They implicate the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health care. Anti-abortion policymakers are using tactics that have been successful in attacking abortion to restrict other care, like contraception, infertility treatment, and gender-affirming care. They are also targeting programs like Title X by cutting off essential resources to federal family planning programs that have never funded abortion care, and defunding providers like Planned Parenthood that do much more than provide abortion.

Everyone deserves to know the facts, and being able to sift through widespread misinformation about abortion is more crucial than ever. Follow us for the latest evidence on abortion in the US or visit guttmacher.org for more.