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The Quickie: AMJ Kicks Off Canvassing Efforts in VA

For Immediate Release: Oct. 5, 2023


Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

In today’s Quickie: PPAF President Alexis McGill Johnson to help kick off canvassing event for Virginia state legislature race, and maternal mortality forces Black women to cross state lines to give birth safely.

AMJ KICKS OFF CANVASSING EFFORTS IN VA: On Saturday, October 7 at 10:00 AM,  Planned Parenthood Action Fund President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson will join a slate of Virginia state legislature candidates to kick off a volunteer and supporter canvassing event hosted by Planned Parenthood Virginia PAC in Leesburg, Virginia. Every seat in the Virginia state legislature is up for grabs and Governor Glenn Youngkin wants to pass an abortion ban if they gain a Republican majority. Virginia is the only state in the south that hasn’t added additional abortion bans or restrictions since Roe was overturned, making this election incredibly consequential for abortion access. 

Reporters interested in attending the canvass launch and speaking to Alexis McGill Johnson and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia Executive Director Jamie Lockhart can email [email protected]. 

 

BLACK WOMEN ARE CROSSING STATE LINES HOPING TO GIVE BIRTH SAFELY: Maternal mortality in the U.S. is among the highest among all developed nations, and the crisis continues to affect Black women disproportionately. As a result, Black women are increasingly turning back to more traditional options like giving birth at home and/or seeking their own doulas, midwives, or birthing assistants. Some are crossing state lines in search of better care.

Insider published accounts from two Black women who each traveled to different states for their birthing care due to their own states’ low health care ratings. In one woman’s case, despite traveling back-and-forth from North Carolina to Maryland for her prenatal visits and labor, she still experienced neglect, dismissal of her concerns, and, ultimately, a traumatic labor. 

Crossing state lines for care can be cumbersome and costly and is not an option for most. For example, patients receiving public health insurance will not be insured outside their state. Dr. Jamila Perritt, OB/GYN and president and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health tells Insider that crossing state lines is not a solution to the Black maternal mortality crisis as the disparity persists in every state. Ultimately, every pregnant person should have access to care in their own community. 

Read more from Insider here.

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