20 January 2025
Feeling renewed, we’re back with our first newsletter of the new year and we’re reminded of why we fight for the civil and human rights of pregnant people.
This week should be the 52nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Instead, we find ourselves at the start of an administration that aims to undermine reproductive freedom completely.
It is clear that Roe was never the solution, but its reversal two years ago has led to tragic deaths and devastating medical emergencies, increased criminalization of pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, and worsening health outcomes for both mothers and babies.
As we reflect on Roe, we center on the 2000+ people we know of who have been surveilled and charged with crimes for abortion, miscarriage, and pregnancy since 1973, and the countless others who have feared getting access to the care and support they need out of fear of criminalization or family separation.
And as we reflect on the legacy of Dr Martin Luther King today, we recognize that the civil rights movement and the fight for reproductive freedom have always been natural allies, seeking to guarantee the right to exist in freedom and dignity. The United States has a long history of controlling reproduction and dehumanizing Black motherhood, and Black women continue to bear the brunt of reproductive violence.
Under the new administration, our lack of comprehensive healthcare access will worsen, and disparities will only deepen. They are ready to further attack access to abortion, birth control, IVF, and prenatal care, especially for those most vulnerable.
We understand the weight of what we are fighting for. And we are committed to using every tool at our disposal to do it, from providing legal support to harnessing public outrage. Together, we will hold those in power to account – both inside and outside the courtroom – and fight with everything we have against the agendas of anti-abortion extremists. There is no other way.
In solidarity,
The Pregnancy Justice team
Notes:
- 20 January is Dr Martin Luther King Day in the USA.
- Pregnancy Justice was called National Advocates for Pregnant Women when it was founded in 2001. The name was changed to Pregnancy Justice on 15 November 2022. We have been reporting their work defending pregnant women who have been prosecuted for many years.