Going Off Their Meds

“It was the news that every expectant mother dreads. Twelve weeks pregnant with her second child, Jennifer Adkins learned her developing fetus had Turner syndrome, a rare chromosomal abnormality, and was unlikely to survive. On top of that, doctors warned that her own health could be in jeopardy.” But Jennifer Adkins lives in Idaho, “one of more than a dozen states that have banned nearly all abortions. Anyone who performs an abortion here is subject to up to five years in prison, and medical professionals who violate the law can also lose their licenses.” These draconian, backward laws force women like Adkins, already mourning losses and worrying about personal health risks, to leave their home states to get basic medical care. The laws also motivate doctors move out of state and make new medical residents hesitant to move in. I listened to Adkins tell her story at the Center for Reproductive Rights event this week. She explained that even extremely religious, pro-life friends and relatives were shocked by what Idaho put her through. Even those not at all concerned about the taking away of longstanding rights are definitely concerned about the regional medical care shortage. NPR: Medical residents are starting to avoid states with abortion bans, data shows. These days, we’re getting nonstop headlines from Gaza and a courtroom in downtown NYC. But this could very well be the issue that decides the 2024 election.