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History & Politics of Abortion

What are the changing laws, policies, and public arguments surrounding abortion, and reproductive rights generally?

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Abortion History among Hawaiʻi's Indigenous People

A grass hut with a Hawaiian family out front

For centuries, Native Hawaiian healers treated abortion as a core part of normal health care. In 1970, Hawai'i was the first U.S. state to legalize abortion.

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How Medical Providers are Navigating the Post-Roe Abortion Landscape

Two doctors talk while looking at an iPad

How do doctors navigate abortion care in states with abortion bans and restrictions?

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Pregnancy as a Crime Post-Dobbs: A Preliminary Report

handcuffs laying on fingerprints chart

Fetal personhood laws and other abortion restrictions play a significant role in the criminalization of pregnancy.

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Why Access to Abortion Care Matters for Black Maternal Health

A silhouette of a Black woman standing in front of a bright window

Attacks on our reproductive choices are costing the lives of Black women and birthing people of color. This report from the Black Maternal Health Federal Policy Collective highlights the importance of accessible abortion care and the need to protect our right to abortion.

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How Big Tech Censors Abortion Information (and what we can do about it): A Conversation with Erin Matson

A purple background with lavender swirls. At the top in white is the following text: "How Big Tech Censors Abortion Information (and what we can do about it)." At the bottom are the names and headshots of Erin Matson and Grace Koch.

How does abortion information get censored online? Erin Matson discusses how censorship and misinformation campaigns and how they affect people seeking quality abortion care.

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The United States of Abortion Mazes

A screenshot from the site of the words "The United States of Abortion Mazes" etched into a maze

This interactive resource uses mazes as a visual tool to make abortion access easier to understand, state by state.

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Effect of Abortion Restrictions on Medical Providers

A woman doctor sits on a bench looking concerned

How do abortion bans lead to deteriorating access to maternity care and other health care? Medical students are decreasingly applying for residency in states with abortion restrictions. Health care providers are also leaving those states.

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Activist Authors on Reproductive Justice: New Books that are Building an Intersectional Movement (webinar recording)

A yellow background with images of the books "Abortion Pills: US History and Politics," "Calling In," "Queering Reproductive Justice: An Invitation," and "Abortion and Reproductive Justice: An Essential Guide for Resistance"

Our Bodies Ourselves hosted a conversation with four powerful, activist authors on May 28, 2025. Loretta J. Ross, Carrie N. Baker, and Our Bodies Ourselves content expert co-chairs Candace Bond-Theriault and Marlene Fried.

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The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice on Reproductive Justice

A red sign that says, "Reproductive Justice for All"

In this brief overview, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice defines reproductive justice in solidarity with Black activists, and discusses the concept in light of the reproductive health and rights of Latine communities.

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A Rabbi's Perspective on Abortion, Justice, and Religion

A group of faith leaders at an LGBTQIA+ rights protest

In this Roe-era interview, Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg speaks with the Center for American Progress about religion and abortion access. She notes how the media often overlooks stories about people of faith working for reproductive rights and justice.

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Criminalization of Pregnancy Has Already Been Happening

A woman in a hospital gown cries in a hallway

Abortion bans criminalize pregnant people. This NPR piece explains how, and traces the history of criminalizing pregnancy over the last 50 years.

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Jailed and Pregnant: What the Roe Repeal Means for Incarcerated People

A black and white photo of handcuffed hands holding prison bars

What are the consequences of the Dobbs decision on incarcerated people? This Q&A fact sheet reviews the availability of reproductive health care in prisons and jails.