Pills: The New Frontier for Anti-Abortion Attacks

Many at the forefront of the abortion access movement(s) predicted the overturn of Roe v. Wade would be the tip of the iceberg on legislation curbing bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom -- and they were right. In March 2023, Texas U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk appeared sympathetic to arguments from the anti-abortion coalition the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine in a case that is attempting to overturn the FDA's approval of the abortion pill mifepristone - one of two pills used for a medical abortion, which accounts for over half of U.S. abortions. In this bonus episode, you'll hear from Plan C Pills co-founder Elisa Wells, Imani Wilson Shabazz, and Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, CEO of Power to Decide about how safe the abortion pills are and how to access abortion pills regardless of what happens with the current lawsuit. Finally, you'll go on a journey with a young woman in Alabama who receives her first abortion pill from Dr. Diane Horvath on her last trip to Alabama to perform abortions before the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

Special thanks to Dr. Diane Horvath from Partners in Abortion Care, Elisa Wells and Imani Wilson Shabazz from Plan C Pills, Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, CEO of Power to Decide, and all those who shared their stories with us. Go to plancpills.org to learn how to access abortion pills. If you live in a restrictive state, go to AidAccess.org. Need help funding your abortion? Check out the National Network of Abortion Funds and the Abortion Freedom Fund. Need advice or have questions about a miscarriage or abortion? Go to M+A Hotline. Have legal questions? Go Repro Legal Helpline. Access trusted abortion care information at AbortionFinder.org and reproductive health information at Bedsider.org.

This podcast is brought to you by Population Media Center. Executive Producers are Lisa Caruso and Alex Demyanenko, with Co-Producer Kathleen Bedoya and Associate Producer Dominica Ruelas. Charity Tooze produced this bonus episode. The script was written by Lynn Hughes and edited by Bruno Falcon, with production services provided by Pidge Productions. Charity Tooze leads impact strategy. Tatiana St. Phard reads the narration. The original music is composed by Valeri Ortiz.