Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Focusing On Protecting Access To Abortion Pills, Sources Say
White House officials plotting the administration’s post-Roe response are weighing a narrow public health directive aimed at safeguarding nationwide access to abortion pills, three people familiar with the discussions told POLITICO. (Cancryn, 7/19)
Fallout over the Ohio abortion-rape case continues —
An Indianapolis doctor who provided abortion care to a 10-year-old rape victim is preparing to sue Attorney General Todd Rokita of Indiana for defamation after he said he would investigate her actions in the case, according to a statement released on Tuesday by her lawyer. (Sasani and Gay Stolberg, 7/19)
Caitlin Bernard, the OB-GYN who provided an abortion on a 10-year-old girl from Ohio who was raped, took the first legal step to sue Indiana's attorney general for defamation over his comments alleging medical misconduct. (Gonzalez, 7/19)
On other abortion matters —
Even in states that protect abortion rights, colleges are proceeding with caution. Providing the abortion pill on campus rather than referring students elsewhere enmeshes colleges in a personal, sometimes emotionally and physically taxing medical decision, according to administrators at several colleges who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. (Hartocollis and Saul, 7/19)
Up until a few weeks ago, the website for the University of Texas at Austin’s health center laid out three options for pregnant students to possibly pursue: they can carry the pregnancy to term and raise the child, put the baby up for adoption or terminate the pregnancy. (McGee, 7/20)
On the morning of May 3, Abby C. burst into tears when she learned that a leaked draft opinion signaled the U.S. Supreme Court would likely overturn Roe vs. Wade. Before getting out of bed, the 23-year-old booked a consultation to begin the process of getting sterilized. (Gomez, 7/19)
