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With the Alabama Abortion Ban, Republicans Push to Challenge Roe v. Wade and Strip Women of Their Rights


“If we are arguing personhood,” said Eric Johnston, the president of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition, “then it does not matter how a child is conceived.” Late last night, Alabama passed a total abortion ban passed in the state after an amendment that would have made an exemption to the law in cases of rape or incest failed. (The ban does have an exemption for cases in which a woman’s life is in danger.) Johnston had helped draft the bill. If it’s signed into law and allowed to take effect, doctors who perform abortions on women at any stage of pregnancy could face 99 years in prison.

In the lead up to the vote, Republican Rep. Terri Collins was even clearer, arguing that “[o]ur bill says that a baby in the womb is a person.” Collins is a cosponsor on the bill, which she hopes will help overturn Roe v. Wade. In Alabama, as in Georgia and Ohio, which both passed extreme abortion bills earlier this month, a clump of cells now has more rights than an adult woman—or, as CBS News pointed out, an sixth grader. Under the Ohio law, for example, a pregnant 11-year-old rape victim would no longer be allowed to have an abortion.

Yes, ICYMI: Republicans want to overturn Roe. They want to take away the right to have a safe abortion. They want to send us right back to America pre-1973. But it’s not just about Roe. Under Donald Trump, a man who’s had a lot of sexual relationships with a lot of women who aren’t his wife, the GOP has declared an open war on women’s reproductive health. It seems we can’t reach the end of a week without a new crisis, some gruesome legislative nightmare explicitly crafted to rein in our rights. It’s 2019, and Republicans have an unquenchable thirst for the Handmaid’s Tale agenda.

Lately, the crusade has taken the form of “heartbeat bills,” which ban abortion before most women even know they’re pregnant at around six weeks. (That’s a little after one late period, although presumably most of the men who wrote these bills are unfamiliar with how menstruation works.) Other efforts have attempted to defund Planned Parenthood, which provides life-saving mammograms and pap smears to millions of people, using a sneaky Title X “Gag Rule.” But inevitably, there’s more to come. The GOP has one goal when it comes to women—strip us of our rights to reproductive health care and the freedom to live the lives we choose.

Since the appointment of Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, state and local Republicans have doubled down on their plan to regulate women’s bodies. And why not? For the first time since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, the makeup of the court is so conservative that it’s entirely possible the decision will soon be struck from the books.

We could scream ourselves hoarse, calling out how highly strange and deeply hypocritical it is that the supposed party of small government wants to squeeze itself inside women’s uteruses. Or we could acknowledge what’s really going on here: It’s not a set of ideological principles that motivates the Republican Party. It’s a desire to control women, to limit our possibilities and our potential, to beat back the gains of feminism and civil rights, and to do all that on a platform of coercion, intimidation, and misinformation. Of course, there are some good actors in the Republican Party (likely Catholics) who truly believe that life begins at conception. I don’t believe that, but at least I understand where those people are coming from. Most anti-choice sentiment isn’t that.





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NBA Star Dwyane Wade Fell on Chrissy Teigen During a Game, and It's Becoming a Meme


As we all know, Chrissy Teigen is a national treasure who should be protected at all costs. I adore her for many reasons—like her epic social media trolling moments and her real talks about everything from parenting to body image. But one of my favorite things about Teigen is her ability to unwittingly go viral every time she attends a public event. Remember when she got hit in the face with an umbrella on a New Year’s Eve telecast? Or how about when she seemingly dozed off at the 2017 Oscars? I’m eternally grateful for these moments.

And now we have a new one to add to the list. It all went down last night at a Miami Heat basketball game in Florida: Teigen showed up courtside with husband John Legend and actress Gabrielle Union to watch Union’s husband, Dwyane Wade, play in his final regular season home game before retiring. At one point during the game, Wade ended up in the laps of Teigen and Legend, and the photo (by Charles Trainer Jr. for the Miami Herald) is simply perfection. Just look at those facial expressions!

Naturally, Teigen had a witty response to the photo, calling it a “Renaissance painting.” She also said it was “an honor” to be crashed into by Wade.

Everyone had a good laugh about the whole thing. One fan tweeted, “This kind of shit seems to always happen to you lol. First the New Year’s umbrella and now this.”

Naturally, people are turning this viral moment into a slew of hilarious memes:

This wasn’t the only fun moment at the game, which kicked off with a celebration of Wade’s career. Union got in on the action by playfully grabbing her husband’s butt at one point:

Mark Brown/Getty Images

And then there was a sweet moment with the night’s other big star, Union and Wade’s baby daughter, Kaavia James Union Wade:

Dwyane Wade and his daughter Kaavia James Union Wade after his final game.
Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Perhaps all retiring players should invite Chrissy Teigen to their final game. They’ll be pretty much guaranteed an amazing viral moment.





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How to Be Prepared if Roe v. Wade Is Overturned


Nearly half a century after the Supreme Court ruling that enshrined a woman’s right to choose into federal law, Roe v. Wade’s future is uncertain. If Roe is overturned or restricted, yes, we will need to raise holy hell. But beyond fighting policy, there are steps every woman should take now to protect their rights, according to ob-gyn Kate White, M.D., and nurse practitioner Molly Finneseth.

“Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.” Some may say that’s a pessimist’s credo, and that those of us who worry about how the current political climate will impact reproductive rights are just liberal Chicken Littles. But who would have thought we’d be having the kinds of conversations that we’ve had in the past two years about access to basic women’s health care?

As health care providers who see more than 250 women as patients each month—that’s 3000 a year—we are very concerned about what the new composition of the Supreme Court might mean for our patients. The right to an abortion is already restricted or imperiled in many states; and the future of accessible contraception is also increasingly uncertain. (Justice Brett Kavanaugh hinted that he believes oral contraceptives are abortion-inducing drugs during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings). That means, depending on what cases come before the Court, we may be one judicial decision away from abortion becoming illegal across the country.

We have been taking care of women and girls for a combined 46 years and have seen women at every stage of their reproductive lives; we know how often women don’t think about abortion until they need one. We’ve already started talking with our patients about things to think about to protect their health and their choices in the next few years. Since we can’t be in all y’all’s exam rooms, we want to share that same advice with you.

1. Think long and hard about pregnancy.

Public health professionals talk a lot about planned and unplanned pregnancies, but many women don’t think about pregnancy as something you plan (it’s not like a Caribbean vacation or a birthday party for your boyfriend). Many women we care for honestly don’t think about pregnancy until they have a scare—or until they’re actually pregnant. But if it becomes really hard or super expensive to access an abortion, women may not have the luxury of not knowing what they want until “later.” You’ll have to know and be able to act fast.

2. Think equally hard about your birth control.

If you know that you don’t want to have a baby in the next few years, it may be time for a talk with your partner. Are you both actively avoiding pregnancy? Are you using your birth control consistently (like, all the time) and correctly (no condom slippage or starting pill packs too late)? If not, an IUD or an implant may be a better choice for you. The insertion procedures have a bad wrap for being scary, but we’ve talked many a woman through them, and everyone gets through them okay. Most say it’s nothing worse than a Pap smear or a period with cramps. For many, that’s well worth years of peace of mind.

And if you don’t currently have a partner, make sure that you’re prepared for the casual encounter that gets intimate before you thought it would. That’s another advantage of the implants and the IUDs: You get to have sex like a man…without thinking about becoming pregnant.

3. Think about what birth control will cost you.

When we talk to patients about contraception, we’ve always ask what is most important to them about their method. We hear often hear questions like, “Can I stop and restart when I want?”, “What will it do to my periods?” and “What are the side effects?” But these days, we also talk about short-term versus long-term investment. If you want the pill, patch or ring, how do the monthly copays add up compared to a longer-term investment in the IUD or implant? Here’s why: the availability of abortion isn’t the only thing that may change—insurance coverage for contraception may also change. Your $4 copay may soon become a $50 co-insurance cost, depending on how the new Congress and the new Court approach things like the Affordable Care Act. That could mean shelling out a whopping $600 per year for your birth control. This is where long- versus short-term planning can become super handy. While IUDs cost more upfront, they can come out to as little as $136 per year when you divide the cost over their many year life span.

4. Track your periods.

Using an app on your phone to track your periods has many advantages—you can be prepared when your next period is due, and you can see if your physical symptoms like cramps are related to your periods. But another advantage is that you’ll know as soon as you’re late for a period or miss one altogether. This alerts you to take a home pregnancy test right away. With some states, like Iowa, already eyeing limiting abortion before a fetal heartbeat is detected, knowing early on if you’re pregnant will give you more options if you need to seek abortion care.

5. When you’re pregnant, seek prenatal care early.

Women who are healthy don’t always go to their OB/GYN or their midwife early—we get it, those early prenatal visits can feel like a waste of time. But getting care early means finding out a lot of things about your health that you might not have known, like being anemic or being a carrier of certain genetic diseases. Early obstetric care also allows you to choose prenatal testing (blood tests and ultrasounds) that might reveal if something’s wrong. Even if you wouldn’t choose to have an abortion under any circumstances, information about a problem facing your baby can help you prepare, such as planning to deliver in a hospital with specialized neonatal care.

6. Set up a rainy-day fund and check your passport.

Abortions can be incredibly expensive. While it’s hard to pin down an average (insurance coverage and variations in state-by-state costs contribute to a wide range) Planned Parenthood estimates the procedure can run up to $950. That doesn’t include the cost of transportation or housing if you need to travel to get an abortion. And unless you live on the right or left coast, or a comfortable car ride to Chicago, access to abortion care will likely require travel. Insurance won’t pay for an out-of-state abortion, and gas, food, and lodging costs are going to be just as real as the cost of the procedure.

The most likely national ban on abortion may come from the Supreme Court upholding a state law that makes abortion illegal beyond 20 weeks of pregnancy. Proponents may claim that they are doing this to protect women, but many fetal anomalies (including lethal ones) are not detected until past the 20 week mark. A law like this would mean women who develop life-threatening conditions in the second trimester might lose the opportunity to save their own life by terminating the pregnancy. The safest and most accessible way to end a pregnancy may be provided by our more politically reasonable neighbors to the north; women may have to leave the United States to go to Canada to get an abortion.

While there more than 70 funding organizations in the National Network of Abortion Funds that can help women partially pay for an abortion, the fact remains there is not enough money to go around. The truth is, if Roe v. Wade is overturned or restricted, access to abortion is not going to come cheap. We know it may sound surreal to have a rainy day fund to pay for an abortion that you may never need, but we’ve heard too many stories from patients struggling to find the funds for care. So consider setting aside a few dollars for whatever reproductive care you might need—be it prenatal care, emergency care, or any other type of care. (It also might come in handy to help a friend.) And consider making a donation to NNAF or other organizations to help them help other women get the care they need to matter what.

The last thing we want to tell our patients? Politics isn’t just something you see on the news—these rulings and policy decisions will directly impact your health, and the health of the women you care about. We’ve already seen too many women struggle to find abortion providers, or who are shocked when they get hit with the bill for a much-needed procedure. These problems are only likely to grow. So talk to your friends and family (especially those in the red states), consider volunteering or supporting an organization like Planned Parenthood or NARAL, and vote. And see your doc for a check-in.

Katharine O’Connell White, M.D., and Molly Finneseth are both assistant professors of obstetrics and gynecology at Boston University.



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Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade Opened Up to Oprah About Their Infertility Struggle


Actress Gabrielle Union and husband Dwyane Wade have been incredibly forthright about their experience trying to have a child, from experiencing close to 10 miscarriages to the years-long battle with trying to get pregnant. “For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant—I’ve either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle, or coming out of an IVF cycle,” she wrote in her memoir. In November, they welcomed their first daughter, Kaavia James, who was born via surrogate. And in an exclusive interview with Oprah that aired on OWN, the Union-Wade parents recounted their struggle in the hopes of increasing awareness and visibility around infertility.

Union and Wade wanted to share their story to help those who are dealing with infertility “feel seen,” according to Union: “They feel like they’re not alone,” she told Oprah.

The couple recounted their experience going through IVF—having embryos implanted and take, only to miscarry; trying again and again, thinking “you work hard, you do the right things, you’re a good person,” as Union put it. She “could not let go of this idea of creating this life within me,” she added, feeling there was a “need to be pregnant for everybody, including myself.”

Wade would get concerned about Union: “I’m watching her do things to her body and to herself that it’s getting to the point where it’s not healthy,” he told Oprah. “And as I always told her: ‘I want this baby just as much as you do, but I married you, and you are the most important thing to me.’ So it came to a point where, you know, I started to feel a certain way about that because I didn’t want something to happen to her.'”

Eventually, the Union-Wades opted for a surrogate—though, Union said she still struggles with her feelings around using one: “Did I miss—did I fail in some kind of way? Did I—am I defective in some kind of deep, you know, just—am I defective in some kind of way? Am I less than in some kind of way? Am I less worthy in some kind of way?”

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The couple was involved throughout their surrogate’s entire pregnancy, “trying to feel as a part of the birth process as possible, since it’s happening outside of both of us. But it’s been a long—a long journey,” Union said. They were at the hospital when their surrogate was in labor, and described the experience of being in the delivery room with her and her husband as deeply bonding.

“Everyone’s journey is different. Everyone’s journey to surrogacy is different,” Union said. By being open about their journey, the Union-Wades want to spark hope in couples going through similar circumstances— and break some of the stigma that still surrounds infertility.

“So many people are suffering in silence and every time, when we’re candid and transparent about our journeys, no matter what those journeys are, you are allowing people to be seen and heard and empowered in ways that they’ve never been,” Union told Oprah.

Since the show aired on OWN, people have taken to social media to praise the couple for their honesty and for bringing attention to this incredibly personal subject.

“Oprah and @itsgabrielleu are really on OWN discussing Black women’s infertility, painful periods, and seeking help instead of suffering in silence. What a time,” Evette Dionne wrote on Twitter.

“WOW! I just watched @itsgabrielleu & @dwyanewade special on @owntv and I was soo inspired by their story!I laughed, I cried, I learned so much… my spirit was truly moved,” actress Naturi Naughton shared on Instagram.

“I appreciate how @itsgabrielleu showed us the potential challenges of egg freezing on @beingmaryjane and then shared so much about @DwyaneWade and her personal journey with IVF on @OWNTV. Thank you! Learned a lot from both,” another user posted on Twitter.

“So glad @DwyaneWade & @itsgabrielleu are addressing the boundaries people cross when a couple goes through IVF and other methods to have children. It’s still so dissapointing to know how much people don’t really know about basic genetics,” one user wrote.

You can listen to Union and Wade’s full conversation with Oprah on OWN.

Related Stories:

Gabrielle Union Has No Time for People Shaming Her for Kissing Her Baby on the Lips

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade Just Revealed the Name of Their Daughter—and It’s Beautiful

Gabrielle Union ‘Finally Got Some Answers’ About Her History of Miscarriages





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Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade Announce Birth of Daughter via Surrogate


There’s nothing like surprise celebrity baby news to brighten up a day. On Thursday, November 8, Gabrielle Union took to social media to announce that she and her husband, NBA star Dwyane Wade, were the proud parents to a new baby girl. Their child was born the day before, November 7, via a surrogate.

Union has been extremely open about her struggles with infertility in the past, but the couple had kept the surrogacy private until she posted pictures of herself and Wade snuggling their new daughter. In the caption Union wrote, “A LOVELY DAY. We are sleepless and delirious but so excited to share that our miracle baby arrived last night via surrogate and 11/7 will forever be etched in our hearts as the most loveliest of all the lovely days. Welcome to the party sweet girl! #onelastdance #skintoskin @dwyanewade”

See the happy announcement, below:

The couple are already parents to Wade’s sons Zaire and Zion, from a previous relationship, and help raise Wade’s nephew Zahveon, and they’ve spoken publicly about the desire to have a child together. That wasn’t always the case, though. “I never wanted kids,” she said. “Then I became a stepmom, and there was no place I’d rather be than with them.”

In her book We’re Going to Need More Wine, Union opened up about her IVF treatments and revealed she had multiple miscarriages. “I have had eight or nine miscarriages,” she writes. “For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant—I’ve either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle, or coming out of an IVF cycle.” But she noted that she and Wade “remain bursting with love and ready to do anything to meet the child we’ve both dreamed of.”

Now, they have their “miracle baby” and celebrities and fans alike could not be happier for the couple. “What a blessing!!! I am so happy for you guys!!!” Janelle Monae commented on Union’s post. And director Ava Duvernay wrote, “How wonderful!” See just a few reactions, below:

Wade’s team, the Miami Heat, also weighed in and already have a baby gift ready.

Many congratulations to the happy family! We can’t wait to hear her name and see more photos.

Related: Gabrielle Union ‘Finally’ Got Answers About Her History of Miscarriages





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More Than Half of Republicans Support Roe v. Wade


There are few issues more divisive in the United States than those surrounding abortion rights. And while there is no doubt that the debate is not going to be definitively settled anytime soon—especially with a Supreme Court seat currently open—a new poll shows that perhaps Americans aren’t as far apart on the matter as it might seem at first glance (even when it comes to party lines).

The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that 71 percent of American voters believe that Roe v. Wade—the Supreme Court ruling that gave women the legal right to an abortion—should not be overturned.

According to NBC News, that’s the highest level of support registered for the decision (and the lowest percentage of opposition at just 23 percent) in the poll’s history, which goes back to 2005. In 1989, a Gallup survey showed that 58 percent said they believed it should stay in place while 31 percent disagreed.

Any way you look at it, that’s a pretty solid majority. But it’s also interesting to note that the poll found that 52 percent of Republican voters also support Roe v. Wade and do not believe that it should be overturned—compared to 88 percent of Democrats and 76 percent of independents.

This level of support for Roe v. Wade obviously comes at an interesting time, when many are rightfully concerned about what President Trump’s conservative Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, might mean for a woman’s right to choose. In fact, the NBC News/WSJ poll also showed that support for Kavanaugh is much lower than past nominees at this point in the pre-confirmation process.

Voters also said that they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports abortion rights versus one who opposes them. And as one Twitter user pointed out, “More support for Roe than ever before. Including a majority of Republicans. Presumably some of them live in Alaska and Maine.” That’s an apparent nod to pro-choice Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, who could be swing votes in the Kavanaugh nomination.

While the NBC News/WSJ poll didn’t break down the numbers across gender, a recent study from the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that 65 percent of men and 68 percent of women support the ruling.

Those the numbers jump even higher among women of ages 18-44, where 74 percent want to see Roe v. Wade upheld.





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