Unleashing Conversations: Bridging an Inclusive Space Together with Words

This guide aims to help you amplify your advocacy through language and crafting a more inclusive space when speaking about reproductive autonomy.

Using new terms as well as a different approach to some kinds of language can be difficult to learn because it almost always requires relearning. We are taught how to use language as we grow up, but our circumstances and experiences can be very different. Most people come into discussions with words that are already comfortable and familiar to them. Relearning is not easy, and it’s okay to make mistakes while you get used to something new.

“Birthing people” rather than “pregnant women” is a more inclusive way to refer to individuals who give birth. "Birthing people" encompasses a wider range of individuals who may experience pregnancy and childbirth, including transgender men and non-binary people. It aims to acknowledge the diversity of gender identities and experiences related to pregnancy.

Reproductive freedom refers to the fundamental right to make decisions regarding reproductive health and family planning without undue interference or restrictions, including from the government or societal norms. It encompasses a broader concept than just "choice" and encompasses various aspects of reproductive autonomy and well-being.

In 2022, California voters passed Proposition 1 which created protections in the California Constitution to say that the state cannot deny or interfere with a person’s reproductive freedom and that people have the fundamental right to choose: whether to have an abortion, or whether to use contraceptives.

Right to Access: California mandates equal access to maternity and abortion services for all regulated private health plans and provides state funds to make abortion services available to low-income people.
Right to Choose a Provider: California allows patients on Medi-Cal – the state’s Medicaid program – to seek abortion care from any qualified provider and permits advanced practice clinicians to perform early abortion care, increasing access for rural and remote areas.
Right to Confidentiality: California protects the personal information of abortion providers and patients, and people can choose to have an abortion without involving parents, guardians, spouses, or the biological parent of the fetus.

Gender-affirming health care recognizes and supports the unique needs of transgender and gender-diverse people by providing a range of services, including hormone therapy, gender-affirming surgeries, mental health support, and specialized primary care. It aims to promote the physical and mental well-being of individuals as they align their bodies and lives with their gender identity.

By promoting awareness and understanding, we can work towards creating a more equitable and inclusive society that respects and upholds the rights and well-being of all people.

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