Guttmacher’s Destiny Lopez testifies at US Senate on post-Dobbs abortion access
Our acting co-CEO Destiny Lopez offered powerful testimony before the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on June 4, 2024, on the state of abortion access since the Dobbs decision.
Guttmacher explains how FDA leadership impacts access to birth control and medication abortion, warning that abandoning scientific evidence—especially on mifepristone—could drastically restrict abortion access nationwide despite decades of proof of its safety and effectiveness.
Samira Damavandi (Senior Policy Associate, Federal) explains how the global gag rule uses US foreign aid to silence abortion-related services and advocacy worldwide, causing harm to reproductive health and access to contraception in countries like Ethiopia and Uganda.
Destiny Lopez and Jonathan Wittenberg (Co-Presidents and CEOs) thank supporters for helping Guttmacher reach its fundraising goal, reaffirming the organization’s commitment to generating evidence and defending reproductive freedom amid mounting challenges in 2025.
This video shares key insights from the AWID Forum, stressing the urgent need for collective action to protect sexual and reproductive health and rights amid global anti-rights movements and calling on governments to prioritize comprehensive, evidence-based SRHR as part of gender equality ahead of the Beijing+30 process.
Kelly Baden (Vice President for Public Policy) highlights that the share of patients traveling out of state for abortion care has doubled, with Illinois receiving the most out-of-state patients due to proactive policies and calls for continued leadership to expand access amid growing restrictions.
Victoria Kirby-York (Director of Public Policy and Programs, NBJC) highlights the escalating mental health crisis among Black youth—especially Black LGBTQ+ youth—driven by discriminatory laws and violence and calls for accountability and continued efforts to prevent deaths and protect lives.
Kelly Baden (Vice President for Public Policy) calls for a bold national agenda to reimagine abortion rights beyond Roe, while urging states to expand shield laws, protect privacy, fund abortion care, and link reproductive rights with gender-affirming care to advance equity.
Kelly Baden (Vice President for Public Policy) warns that states and localities are escalating efforts to criminalize helping patients travel for abortion care, while Alabama’s recent embryo ruling signals a push toward fetal personhood laws.
