Call To Action For: Legislators & Policymakers
- Destigmatize abortion through language used in written work and public conversation;
- Enact a federal law that enshrines the right to abortion access as a human right in accordance with the 2022 World Health Organization Abortion Care Guidelines and that preempts state laws restricting abortion;
- Learn more about why exceptions do not work and are not ethical;
- Read/listen to and reflect on the patient stories at We Testify | The Abortion Diary | Advocates for Youth. How can these stories as well as the provider stories on this site inform your law making, your language choices, and your contributions as a public servant to public health?
- As recommended by Human Rights Watch, take measures at the state and federal level to:
- Ensure the right to safe and legal abortion and reproductive healthcare
- Ensure the right to seek information and consultation regarding birth control and pregnancy options
- Require all health services to be provided in compliance with human rights standards
- Ensure access to a full range of modern contraception, without discrimination or coercion
- Remove all legal obstacles, including parental involvement laws, to accessing affordable, non-discriminatory, and quality comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare, including safe abortion care
- Protect the confidentiality of persons who can become pregnant and medical professionals by: (1) limiting the collection of patient data; (2) prohibiting the disclosure of confidential information to any third parties, including law enforcement, without consent; and (3) informing patients of their right to privacy and the confidentiality of their visit and queries
7. Protect medical professionals who provide abortion and other reproductive healthcare by prohibiting their prosecution, disbarment, loss of license, or other retribution or reprimanding measures;
8. Fund medical facilities that provide access to abortion care and evidence-based, non-biased pregnancy and abortion-related information and counseling, especially in areas where minority and marginalized populations reside;
9. Adopt a federal law that prohibits the criminalization of interstate travel for medical care, and assistance thereof;
10. Address discrimination on the basis of disability throughout all aspects of reproductive healthcare;
11. Address racial and ethnic origin discrimination in healthcare and health outcomes directly, through measures that: (1) remedy structural racism and intersectional discrimination; (2) make resources available to communities of color affected by reproductive health inequities; and (3) prioritize the meaningful participation and leadership of BIPOC people in all systems and at all points of decision-making processes that impact their reproductive health and rights.
