The Quickie: Planned Parenthood Providers Share Their Different Realities

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: PP providers share their different realities, Kari Lake’s response to AZ’s abortion ban, patients already facing barriers to emergency care, and a new UNFPA report.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD PROVIDERS SHARE THEIR DIFFERENT REALITIES: In a NowThis Impact video, Dr. Gabby Aguilar, medical director of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, and Dr. Bhavik Kumar, medical director for primary and trans care at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, shared videos about their realities as abortion provides in two very different legal landscapes. 

Based in New York City, Dr. Aguilar has seen more out-of-state patients and fears an increase in attacks on IVF, gender-affirming care, and birth control. Patients still face barriers like securing money for care, transportation, child care, and lodging. 

Dr. Bhavik Kumar’s work in Texas has been halted completely since SB 8 went into effect. Although he is an abortion provider, he now only does care before or after an abortion and refers patients to patient navigators for care.

Watch the full video at NowThis Impact. 

U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE KARI LAKE TELLS ARIZONANS JUST “DRIVE THREE HOURS” TO GET ABORTION CARE: Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake thinks that it’s not a big deal for patients to be unable to get care in Arizona — they can just drive out of state for it.  

Jezebel reports that at a campaign event last week, Lake told the audience, “Even if we have a restrictive law here, you can go three hours that way, three hours that way, and you’re going to be able to have an abortion.” A three hour commute to receive essential health care is absolutely outrageous, not to mention unfeasible for many people. 

Her tone deaf response is the latest evidence that Lake does not care about Arizonans’ health. Lake’s remarks show she is out of touch with Arizonans, who overwhelmingly believe that abortion is a decision between patients and their doctors, not politicians.

AS SUPREME COURT PREPARES TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN A CASE THAT THREATENS EMERGENCY CARE, PREGNANT PATIENTS ALREADY FACING BARRIERS TO EMERGENCY CARE: It seems like a ridiculously straightforward decision, but next week the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case in which the state of Idaho is trying to undermine federal law that protects people’s ability to get emergency care — and functionally exclude pregnant people from that care if they need an abortion. 

But instead of providing people with that care, as Amanda Seitz at AP reports, hospitals in states with abortion bans are turning people with emergencies away. As the report explains, extreme abortion bans imposed by state legislatures have “sparked confusion around the treatment doctors can provide.” The stories from pregnant people are devastating, and highlight just how hard it is to get care – “Pregnant patients have ‘become radioactive to emergency departments’ in states with extreme abortion restrictions, said Sara Rosenbaum, a George Washington University health law and policy professor. ‘They are so scared of a pregnant patient, that the emergency medicine staff won’t even look. They just want these people gone.’” 

The consequences of abortion bans and restrictions will continue to have devastating impacts even on people seeking emergency care – and the Supreme Court should understand the effects of the Dobbs decision, and make it clear that emergency care is protected under existing federal law. 

Read more of the reporting from AP here.

30 YEARS OF PROGRESS, BUT BARRIERS REMAIN: NEW REPORT FROM UNFPA DETAILS DISPARITIES IN SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH GLOBALLY: UNFPA, the United Nations’ sexual and reproductive health agency, released a new report this week that examines the progress made in the 30 years since the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) meeting in Cairo. The ICPD in 1994 marked the first time governments – including the United States – acknowledged that sexual and reproductive health and rights are essential for sustainable development and women and girls’ empowerment.

Despite major strides over the last three decades, overall progress has begun to stagnate and advancements have failed to reach the most marginalized communities across the globe. These inequities are only being exacerbated by the ongoing relentless attacks on reproductive rights – including the global ripple effects of the Dobbs decision.

“Inequalities persist because we don't prioritize and value women's rights, and in particular, women's reproductive rights,” said Natalia Kanem, UNFPA executive director, told journalists on Monday as she launched the agency’s annual report from Geneva.

The bottom line: Investments in sexual and reproductive health and rights save lives, while a lack of investment endangers them. 

Read the full report here.