The Quickie: Tomorrow: Canvass for Issue 1 in Cincinnati
For Immediate Release: Oct. 26, 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: Canvassing for Issue 1 in Ohio tomorrow, new speaker but the same anti-abortion agenda, and tips on identifying abortion misinformation.
TOMORROW: CANVASS FOR ISSUE 1 IN CINCINNATI: On Friday, October 27, Planned Parenthood Action Fund President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson will join volunteers in Cincinnati, OH for door-to-door canvassing in support of Issue 1. With voting already underway, Alexis will join volunteers as they talk to community members about the November 7th election, ensure they understand what’s at stake for reproductive rights in Ohio, and vote YES on Issue 1. Issue 1, the Right to Reproductive Freedom amendment, would end Ohio’s extreme abortion ban and put families — not politicians — back in charge of personal medical decisions.
Reporters interested in attending the canvass launch and speaking with Alexis, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, and Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights can email Ashley Zhao at [email protected].
NEW NAME, NEW GUY, SAME ANTI-ABORTION AGENDA: Yesterday, House Republicans elected Rep. Mike Johnson (LA-04) as the new speaker of the House after ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy more than 20 days ago. The lesser known member may be a newer name in conversations about national politics, but make no mistake – we already know his agenda. Look no further than his dangerous and extreme record supporting a national abortion ban, the global gag rule, and efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Alexis McGill Johnson blasted House Republicans for selecting the anti-abortion extremist:
“Mike Johnson has a long and disastrous record of attacking abortion rights and the full suite of sexual and reproductive health care services. House Republicans, including those claiming to be moderates, know exactly what they are doing by electing him as speaker: they are fully embracing extremism and a plan to ban abortion nationwide. We need them to do the job they were sent to Congress to do: govern and fund the government, including sexual and reproductive health care programs. Instead, they’ve chosen another out-of-touch and dangerous politician to lead their chaotic and dysfunctional crusade to take away our rights. Our communities deserve better.”
Read the full Planned Parenthood Action Fund statement here.
ABORTION MISINFORMATION IS ON THE RISE — HERE’S HOW TO SPOT IT: Rampant attacks on abortion rights across the U.S. have both fueled and left people more vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation on abortion care. This week, Wired published an article sharing some tips on how to recognize this type of misinformation when you see it.
Firstly, it’s important to consider your source of information and whether they have any potential interest in misleading. You should also keep an eye toward who funded the research and what their own vested interests may be.
Practicing scientific literacy is critical. For example, if a study makes a claim — particularly one about clinical outcomes — make sure the sample size involves more than just a few people. According to ANSIRH researcher, Andréa Becker, a high-quality research study usually involves several hundred people and often follows them over the course of several years. Becker compares ANSIRH’s Turnaway Study, which included over 1,000 participants and followed them for over five years, to another study claiming that abortion reversal was possible and followed only six women. Be sure to also check that a study’s citations are as recent as possible.
A major red flag to look out for when identifying abortion-related misinformation is language that promotes fear, stigma or shame. Unbiased, scientific sources on abortion use neutral language and talk about abortion like they would any other basic part of health care. After all, that’s what it is.
Read more from Wired here.