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April 11 – 17, 2021, marks the fourth annual Black Maternal Health Week. In this bonus episode, Dr. Jamila Perritt, board certified OB/GYN and President and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health and Dr. Mishka S. Peart, OB/GYN and fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health, talk to us about the importance of highlighting and discussing the disparities in abortion, contraception, and maternal health access and outcomes for Black people in the United States.There are undeniable race- and ethnicity- based disparities in maternal health outcomes in the United States. For example, maternal deaths occur more frequently among Black people than any other race or ethnicity, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) note that Black people are three to four times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than any other racial or ethnic group. Lack of access to quality contraception and abortion care also disproportionately impact Black communities; in fact, a recent study found that barriers to abortion contributed to up to a 38 percent increase in maternal deaths, which has a disparate impact on Black people. Medical care, access to comprehensive reproductive health services, and maternal health outcomes are certainly impacted by social inequities and racism. “Weathering”, or the phenomenon of the biological impact of stress related to being Black in America, is an effect of the systemic racism faced by the Black community in the medical system and beyond. It is vital that the U.S. medical system recognize this cyclical structure and make long-term changes that address the inherent biases in the healthcare infrastructure. The reproductive justice framework has four tenets at its core: 1) every person has a human right to determine if they have a child, and to determine the circumstances under which they give birth; 2) every person has a human right to decide if they will not have a child and to have the resources to decide if and how to prevent and end a pregnancy; 3) every person has a human right to parent the children they already have in sustainable and safe communities free from violence; and 4) every person has a human right to bodily autonomy and sexual pleasure. It is far past time that the United States begins to view and provide comprehensive reproductive health care holistically and through the lens of a reproductive justice framework.Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

LGBTQ+ people, overall, lack equal rights and access in the United States. In fact, in most of the U.S., LGBTQ+ people face discrimination in housing, credit, public accommodations, jury service, and other public arenas that don’t directly involve marriage or employment. It’s also no secret that Republicans around the country have been passing legislation for years that attacks the health and rights of transgender people. Charlotte Clymer, writer, LGBTQ+ advocate, and Director of Communications and Strategy at Catholics for Choice, talks to us about how state attacks on transgender rights are contributing to the lack of protections for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S.This year state-level anti-trans policies have fallen into three buckets: those that prevent transgender youth from receiving lifesaving, gender-affirming medical care, those that prevent transgender youth from competing in sports, and religious liberty exemptions. Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee are states that have formally passed these types of legislation so far this year. In direct opposition to these egregious attacks on LGBT health and rights, the Equality Act is a comprehensive bill that, at the national level, would ban discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in every aspect of the public square. Since the Biden administration has taken office, there have been a number of protections that have been passed to support LGBTQ+ people. Immediately, the Biden administration signed a flurry of executive orders that made it illegal to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people within the federal government, overturn the ban on trans people in the military, and appoint a number of LGBTQ+ people to government posts. To expand upon its progress, the Biden administration should release every LGBTQ+ (and specifically, trans and non-binary) undocumented immigrant from ICE and CPB custody, ensure that incarcerated trans people maintain their rights and wellbeing, and create an LGBTQ+-specific equality commission or council, and strengthening reporting in the State Department’s international Human Rights Reports on LGBTQ+ safety around the world.Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

Gender-based violence, or GBV, is harm perpetrated against a person’s will on the basis of their gender or gender characteristics. It is such a widespread global issue that 1 in 3 women have reported experiencing some form of gender-based violence. Gayatri Patel, Director of Gender Advocacy at CARE USA, talks to us about ­­­­this universal issue.   GBV can include rape or sexual violence, domestic or intimate partner violence, human trafficking, child marriage, harassment, controlling behavior, and economic abuse, among other forms of violence. While gender-based violence is often committed against women and girls, it is important to remember that boys, men, and people of other gender identities experience gender-based violence, as well. GBV takes place in all countries, to people in all social and economic classes, and to people of all races, ethnicities, and religions. In practice, global gender-based violence looks like: ·      Somewhere in the world, 1 girl every 2 seconds is married before the age of 18·      An average of 137 women are killed by a family member each day·      1 in 10 women in the European Union saying they have experienced cyber harassment since the age of 15 Conflict, natural disaster, and humanitarian situations often lead to a lack of traditional social support, disintegration of familial structures, and increased rates of stress. Combined, this phenomenon can lead to rising rates of all forms of GBV in these situations. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic increase in GBV, particularly domestic violence, intimate partner violence, child marriage, and female genital cutting. Because people’s movements are restricted due to stay-at-home measures, jobs have been lost, and schools have closed, many are trapped in a home with an abuser, have become financially dependent on their abusers, or have become an easier target of abuse. Each survivor is different and therefore, each survivor needs different things. Examples of needs for gender-based violence survivors could include economic and job support, immediate crisis counseling, long-term psychosocial services, legal services, sexual and reproductive health services, and more. The Biden administration is already taking action to address GBV. The administration established the White House Gender Policy Council and they are developing a national action plan on GBV, and updating the U.S. strategy to responded to global GBV. Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

Catholics have abortions at the same rate as others in the U.S. 58% of Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 68% of Catholics in the U.S. do not want to see Roe v. Wade overturned. Jamie Manson, President of Catholics for Choice, talks to us about all of the ways that Catholicism deeply impacts the human rights of many in the United States.Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

“Bridgerton” is a 2020 Netflix show that follows the fictional Bridgerton family siblings as they seek love in Regency-era London. The first season features plots relating to maternal mortality, consent, sex education, and much, much more. Laura Lindberg, Principal Research Scientist for the Guttmacher Institute, talks to us about the sexual and reproductive health issues that Bridgerton explores and the ways in which sex education today may be just as hard to access as it was in 1813 London.Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

This week we are doing things a little differently! To celebrate rePROs Fight Back’s 100th episode, host Jennie Wetter will be answering questions sent in by listeners. This week, sit back, relax, and get to know the rePROs Fight Back host just a bit better! Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

Medication abortion provides safe, effective, and time-sensitive medical care to patients around the U.S. that require an abortion. Unfortunately, medication abortion faces multiple restrictions, with the Supreme Court recently ruling that patients must access the medication in-person. Especially in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, these restrictions are not only unnecessary, but blatantly dangerous. Dr. Jamila Perritt, a board-certified OBGYN and family planning specialist, and President and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health, talks to us about these restrictions and how they are impacting people’s access to basic abortion care, in and outside of the context of the pandemic. Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

Clinics that are funded by Title X provide critical family planning care to many around the U.S. This care includes pelvic exams, STD testing and treatment, cancer screenings, birth control prescription services, and more. The Trump administration’s 2019 administrative rule, sometimes referred to as the domestic gag rule, has completely gutted the Title X program Robin Summers, Vice President of Healthcare Strategy and Analysis and Senior Council at the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), talks to us about how the Title X program has been impacted by the Trump administration’s harmful rule, and how the incoming Biden-Harris administration can repair it.Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

Reproductive Justice is the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities. Monica Raye Simpson, Executive Director of SisterSong, Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, sits down with us to talk about how the framework of reproductive justice is deeply interwoven into events that are currently happening in the United States.Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

Health care is a human right and yet immigrants in the US cannot receive appropriate health insurance coverage or healthcare because of their immigration status. Abbey Zhu, member of the Chicago chapter of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), Luisa Cuautle, activist with the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice (NLIRJ) and Candace Gibson, Associate Director of Government Relations at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice sit down with us to talk about the HEAL for Immigrant Women and Families Act and how the legislation will ensure access to quality, affordable, and dependable healthcare coverage for all immigrants.Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

The the Blueprint for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice (the Blueprint) lays out a comprehensive, proactive domestic and foreign policy agenda to achieve reproductive health, rights, and justice, envisioning a future that sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice advocates would like to live in. Michelle Batchelor, Vice President of Government Affairs at In Our Own Voice-- National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda and Caitlin Horrigan, Director of Global Advocacy at Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, sit down with us to discuss.Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

The International Center for Research on Women defines feminist foreign policy as “the policy of a state that defines its interactions with other states and movements in a manner that prioritizes gender equality and enshrines the human rights of women and other marginalized groups, allocates significant resources to achieve that vision and seeks, through its implementation, to disrupt racist, patriarchal and male-dominated power structures across all levers of influence, such as aid, trade, defense, diplomacy, and that this is informed by the voices of feminist groups, activists, and movements at home and abroad.” Lyric Thompson, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women, and leader of the Coalition for a Feminist Foreign Policy in the United States, sits down to talk to us about the significance of feminist foreign policy, and how it can be achieved. Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

Infertility is estimated to impact 10 to 15 percent of couples in the United States, making it the most common diseases of people between the ages of 20 and 45. Frankie Robertson, with the National Birth Equity Collaborative and the Amandla Group, takes time to talk to us about the intricacies of infertility and why we need to look at it as a reproductive justice issue. Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

Newly-appointed Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett has a proven track record of being a very conservative judge on issues like sexual violence, the Affordable Care Act, LGBTQ+ rights, and reproductive health and rights. In her confirmation hearing, Justice Barrett refused to answer many questions surrounding abortion, in vitro fertilization, and birth control. Caroline Reilly, legal fellow with Rewire News Group, talks to us about Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s past experience and personal views could certainly influence the future of health and rights in the United States. Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

This week we are doing things a little differently! Long time listeners have probably heard our SRHR Hero Origin Stories podcast AND our SRHR Hero Origin Stories podcast: Round 2, where we talked to a number of amazing heroes in the field of reproductive health, rights, and justice and heard about how they began working in this space. We have reprised our most popular podcast episodes and talked to more leaders about their work, their passions, and their journeys into reproductive health for a third time!Guests include:Lienna Feleke-Eshete, Senior Associate of Public Policy and Movement Building at the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) Zara Ahmed, Associate Director of Federal Issues at Guttmacher InstituteErin Matson, Co-Founder and Co-Director of ReproactionMonica Edwards, Federal Policy Manager at Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity (URGE)Jennie Wetter with the Population Institute and rePROs Fight BackSupport the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

The Global Gag Rule has interfered with HIV prevention and contraceptive access and has increased unintended pregnancy and abortion rates. The Trump administration has engaged in unprecedented expansion of this rule, endangering the health and lives of millions around the world and is looking to further expand who the gag rule applies to. Beirne Roose-Snyder, Director of Public Policy at the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) talks to us about the continuation of these harmful expansions even though 70 percent of Americans oppose the Global Gag Rule. Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

The Commission on Unalienable Rights was convened by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The commission has championed religious freedom and property as human rights, but not reproductive health, LGBTQ+ wellbeing, immigrant rights, and more. Amanda Klasing, Interim Co-Director at the Women’s Rights Division at the Human Rights Watch and Tarah Demant, Director of Gender, Sexuality, and Identity Program at Amnesty International USA sit down to talk to us about this commission’s most recent report and how it is harmful for global human rights.Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

On September 18, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away from complications related to pancreatic cancer. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a fierce defender of justice for all. Leila Abolfazli, Director of Federal Reproductive Rights at the National Women’s Law Center sits down to talk to us about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy and what’s at stake when it comes to our sexual and reproductive health and rights. Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

A quick note that this episode was recorded before the heartbreaking death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In legislative sessions across the U.S. in the year of 2019, more than 300 anti-abortion bills were introduced and 58 restrictions were enacted. Some of these sexual and reproductive health-related laws will end up in front of the courts, meaning an individual’s right to abortion access in some states ends up in the hands of whatever judges preside in the court. Anisha Singh, Director of Judiciary and Democracy Affairs with Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPACT), sits down to talk with us about how our courts play a critical role in our sexual and reproductive health and rights.Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)

The COVID-19 pandemic is both exacerbating and laying bare the ways in which marginalized communities continue to be further marginalized when it comes to healthcare access. Specifically, women, people of color, and transgender folks are often underrepresented or completely excluded from clinical trial and vaccine development. Jamille Fields Allsbrook, Director of Women’s Health and Rights at the Center for American Progress sits down with us to discuss the ways in which disparities in representation lead to disparities in the development of clinical trials and vaccines. Support the show (https://www.reprosfightback.com/take-action#donate)