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Abortion providers in the US
Anne Westh, journalist, MPH:
• 1998-2001: Press secretary, Christian Party (Kristeligt Folkeparti), The Danish Parliament (Christiansborg)
• 2001-2005: US-correspondent, Christian Daily (Kristeligt Dagblad)
• 2008- : Journalist, Communications Department, Aarhus University Hospital
Overview
• Then and now: Legislative regulation of abortion in the US
• Working conditions for abortion providers• Medical students and abortion training• Obamacare and abortion
US: Early abortion laws
Until the early 1800’s:• No regulation of abortion in the USBeginning of 1900’s:• Most states have criminalized abortion1965: • All 50 states had outlawed abortion
US: Legislation on abortion
1973:• Roe vs. Wade, abortion was declared a
fundamental right, federal level• Pro-lifers trying to push for restrictions, especially
at the state level• Late-term abortions: Missisippi bans abortion at
20 weeks, 7 states and D.C. have no upper limits
US: Legislation on abortion
• 1976: ”Hyde Amendment”, no federals ressources must be used to sponsor abortion activities, Medicaid
• 1984: NGO’s sponsored by federal ressource are not allowed to work with family planning
• Today: Pro-lifers still trying to pass legislation which can restrict the access to legalized abortion
• From 2011 to 2013 more state restrictions on abortion were enacted than the previous decade
US: Pro-life groups
US: Pro-life groups
• Who are the pro-lifers? The National Right to Life Committee, Pro-life Action league, Operation Rescue, The Army of God
Main arguments:• Life begins at conception• Abortion is immoral murder• Abortion impose suffering/pain on the unborn
child
US: Pro-choice groups
US: Pro-choice groups
• Who are the pro-choicers? Planned Parenthood, National Abortion Federation, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
Main arguments:• Abortion is a woman’s right• Abortion should not be limited by govermental or
religious authority• If abortion were illegal, women would resort to
unsafe illegal abortion
US: Quick stats on abortion
US: Quick stats on abortion
• From Roe vs. Wade to 2011 53 mio. legal abortions have been performed in the US – an average of about 1.4 mio. abortions per year
• The abortion rate has declined in recent years – 2011 had the lowest rate sine Roe vs. Wade: 17 abortions per 1,000 women
• Nearly 3 in 10 american women will have an abortion by age 45
US: Quick stats on abortion
• 2011: 1,720 abortion providers and 839 abortion clinics
• 89 % of US counties did not have abortion services, 38 % of women live in those counties
• Number of abortion providers have been declining since 1984, from 2,908 in 1982
• 222 arson attacks/bombings against abortion providers 1977-2012
• 8 abortion providers killed during that period
US: Abortion providers
US: Abortion providers
Dr. Curtis BoydFirst abortion performed: 1966, still practicing
“I basically taught myself how to do abortions. I had to learn to have a very low complication rate. Honestly, the hardest thing about it was that the women were so desperate. I couldn’t say no. It became my life, it was day and night.”
US: Abortion providers
Dr. Warren HernFirst abortion performed: 1971, still practicing
“There have been a number of attempts on my life, but I don’t wear a bulletproof vest anymore. They have been very clear in their letters, saying, ‘Don’t bother with the vest, we’ll go right for a head shot.”
US: Abortion providers
Dr. Suzanne T. PoppemaFirst abortion performed: 1974, retired in 2014
”My face was on those wanted posters [made by anti-choice extremists]. They would celebrate when there was a murder or injury and put a big red X over the practitioner’s photo”.
US: Abortion providers - commute
Dr. Cheryl ChastineDistance: 700 miles When Chicago family physician Cheryl Chastine is
driven from the airport to Wichita’s South Wind Women’s Center (in Kansas), she takes different cars, never takes the same route twice, and ducks down to the floor.
US: Anti-abortion violence
• Extreme forms are recognized as terrorism• Murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, arson,
bombing, butyric acid attacks, anthrax letters, property damage
• The Army of God is an underground network who believe violence is acceptable as a means to end abortion
US: The Army of God
Nuremberg files:• Nuremberg trials vs. Nuremberg files• Encourage the public to list all kind of available
information on abortion providers, owners of abortion clinics etc. on the website
• Wants to be ready ”when the day comes to charge abortionists with their crimes”
US: The Army of God
US: The Army of God – abortioncams
USA: Abortion and medical students
US: Abortion and medicial students
• Only 32 % of the medical schools offer formal lecture on abortion.
• 55 % of the medical schools do not offer the students clinical exposure to abortion
• A lot of students are not exposed to the abortion procedure
• Students who opt to later become abortion providers will often choose the safe areas, not the rural areas with a scarcity of abortion providers.
USA: Abortion and Obamacare
US: Abortion and Obamacare
• 2010: Affordable Care Act: Health care reform – more low-income and middle-income americans should have a health insurance.
• US still have a privatized health care system but now the state regulates the health insurance market
• By the end of the first enrollment period, 8 mio. americans have enrolled at the new health care market
US: Abortion and Obamacare
• To pass Obamacare, Obama had to promis (again), that federal resources would not be used for abortion activities.
• Still, some health insurances would cover abortion, continues as an issue of debate
• Difficult to get an overview, www.obamacareabortion.com tries to collect data on the different states
Questions
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Contacts
Journalist, MPH Anne WesthCommunications DepartmentAarhus University HospitalPhone 78 46 16 52, cell 29 13 45 12E-mail: [email protected]
