Women's health issues in the crossfire of politics

Reproductive rights in the United States are under attack. In April, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the first ever federal law banning certain methods of abortion. Tellingly, this is the first reproductive rights decision by the Court since Justice O'Connor's resignation, it is the first to uphold an abortion restriction that lacks protections for women's health, and the language of the decision invites other restrictions on abortion. The question then is, what further measures to restrict abortion access can we expect, how will the courts respond, and what can we do to best protect access to abortion in the United States.

The assault on abortion, however, is just one of a multitude of threats to reproductive rights. The federal government continues to pour over a billion dollars into dangerous, misleading, and ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Women continue to struggle to access basic reproductive health care – even at the pharmacy counter. And women who choose to carry to term continue to be monitored and punished for their conduct during pregnancy. Teens, low-income women, women in prison and women of color are all are all disproportionately affected by restrictions on reproductive rights. In short, there is a long way to go before reproductive freedom is a reality for women in this country.