Pride, Juneteenth & 4 Years Without Roe:
None of Us are Free Until We’re All Free

Written by Jeff Koetje, MD, AMSA Senior Director of Education & Programming

In the spirit of this month, we join in the many recognitions, celebrations, and observations of (June 19th), , and the 4-year mark of the decision that overturned Roe v Wade. May the spirit of liberation move like the wind, lift us up, and propel us forward in the ongoing and interconnected work of getting free, and may there always be singing and dancing along the way.��

In the dark times
Will there also be singing?
Yes, there will also be singing.
AMSA the dark times.
-Bertolt Brecht

This is one of those years when the many circumstances of the present moment make it hard to simply say, “Happy Pride!” or “Happy Juneteenth!”��

With respect to the overall material conditions experienced by gay people, queer people, trans people, Black people, brown people, women and femme people, pregnant people, immigrants, migrants, refugees, and unhoused people – and every intersection of lived experience thereof – things have objectively gotten worse in the United States. Human rights and civil liberty protections have been rolled back; stochastic terrorism targeting minoritized and marginalized people is the political currency of the Trump regime; and the violent, murderous fascism of the billionaire/trillionaire class is fully on display.��

In 2026, the United States federal government, along with several state governments including most of the state governments in the southeast US (and elsewhere in the US), are enacting policies which are materially reconstructing a white Christian nationalist apartheid state, stripping African American and Black people of their civil rights, violating their human rights, and attempting to greatly expand the legions of enslaved laborers through our modern plantation system of federal, state, and private prisons. Simultaneously, authoritarian powerholders at the federal and state levels are enacting policies that constitute state genocide against trans people specifically. And, four years after the Dobbs decision – whose anniversary we mark next week (June 24) – reversed the federally recognized constitutional right to abortion care, we find ourselves deeper into a crisis of necessary care delayed or denied and increased morbidity and mortality for women and pregnant people that is exacerbated by the delegalization of abortion care, an essential primary care service, across many states.

“We aren’t meant to survive this.”
-Rev. Dr. Roberto “Che” Espinoza, queer transmasculine public theologian

It’s a hard truth, but it’s true nonetheless: the system of socio-economic and political power that currently dominates not just US society but the entire world brings nothing but precarity and significantly increased risk of harm and death to the vast majority of people alive right now. The “we” in “We aren’t meant to survive this” is a huge swath of humanity whose lives and livelihoods are treated as all but meaningless and worthless by a small number of people who, through the channels of capitalism, colonialism, and neoliberal economic policy have pathologically hoarded wealth, resources, and opportunities in proportions that can never be just, or justified.

So, if the vast majority of we the people aren’t even meant to survive these material conditions, then it must be our duty to our individual and collective selves to fight for our own and for each other’s survival. And not just for survival, but for flourishing — although in the face of immediate threats, survival is the first thing we fight for — let us also remember our ancestors from the women’s suffrage and labor movements’ clarion call for .

:

On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed that slavery had ended. That day marked a delayed but powerful moment of liberation, one that Black communities have commemorated ever since as Juneteenth. It’s a celebration of freedom—but also a reminder of how long justice can be delayed, denied, or distorted in this country and how deeply entrenched systems of oppression can be.
-Diamond King, (2025)

:

That one summer night, in the midst of the chaos and resistance, a small but powerful group declared that they would no longer be invisible. The riot outside Stonewall became a beacon – an unplanned but necessary act of defiance that ignited a worldwide movement for LGBTQ+ rights.
-Amber,

:

Dobbs erased both the law and the symbol [of Roe]. Women no longer have a constitutional right to an abortion, and we no longer have the dignity that that right gave us. We are now, in many states, subject to laws that criminalize and surveil us, that assess our needs for medical care based on whether we are suffering enough to deserve it, that in many cases treat blobs of tissue, laughably far from anything human, as having rights and interests that trump our own.

In one of the most intimate and life-defining aspects of our existence, we find ourselves not quite treated as adults, not allowed to make our own choices, not trusted to know our own interests and not valued in our own right. In pregnancy, women are now less citizens than they are subjects.
-Moira Donegan,

In a month during which we observe the wins, the losses, the ongoing struggles, and the ongoing labor of getting out from underneath the boot of white supremacist racism, the boot of heterosexist homophobia, transphobia, and femmephobia, and the boot of masculinist misogyny, it ought to be abundantly clear to all of us that none of us can fight these fights alone, and that none of us will truly win our freedoms except through collective efforts driven by a vision for nothing less than collective liberation.

If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.
-Aboriginal activists group, Queensland, 1970s
(this quote is frequently attributed to Lilla Watson, but she has refused numerous times to claim sole credit for the slogan)

*This On Call post was orignally published in the AMSA Reproductive Health Project eNews #72 – June 20, 2026��—�� Read the full issue HERE

Explore the��AMSA Reproductive Health Project
Find news, tips, tools, opportunities�� & more!

��Sign-up for our Repro eNews

The post Pride, Juneteenth & 4 Years Without Roe: None of Us are Free Until We’re All Free appeared first on AMSA.

SPOTLIGHT ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH & JUSTICE

Beyond Stigma: Centering Dignity, Freedom, and Choice in Reproductive Health

Written by Donya Admadian, MS, MPH, AMSA Legislative Affairs Director
and Taylor Spears, MD, AMSA Reproductive Health Project Fellow

She could be your classmate sitting silently beside you in lecture, quietly calculating how many miles exist between her and the nearest clinic. All the while, lawmakers who will never even know her name debate her humanity from hundreds of miles away.

She could be your future patient-navigating fear, uncertainty, and isolation beneath the fluorescent lights of an emergency room. Your sibling. Your colleague. Considering that 1 in 4 women in the U.S. have an abortion by age 45, the chances of these people being near and dear to you are extremely high (ACOG, Abortion care 2022).

Abortion care in the 21st century continues to be discussed as abstraction before humanity- as politics before personhood.

From early in our medical careers, we are both directly and indirectly trained to stigmatize reproductive healthcare- through silence in our curricula and clinical rotations, through euphemisms that distance us from patients, through legislation that has no evidence-based foundation, and through institutional cultures that frame reproductive healthcare and abortion as controversial rather than deeply human forms of care.

When care is treated as controversial, we inevitably create systems in which institutional judgment becomes the frame of reference through which patients are taught to understand themselves. People seeking abortion care are already forced to navigate tangible barriers- financial strain, geographic restriction, delayed access, legislative interference- yet layered atop these obstacles for many patients is an often unspoken psychological burden shaped by shame, fear, isolation, and the possibility of public scrutiny. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, abortion does not increase the risk of depression (ACOG, Abortion care 2022). The UC San Francisco’s landmark found that

“more than 95 percent of people who chose to have abortions reported that it was the right decision for them, when interviewed over the next five years.”

Given the stigma and the supposed “guilt” surrounding care, these facts alone corrects major misconceptions about the psychological toll of abortion care.

It is critical to recognize that no two abortion experiences are identical, nor should distress be presumed as universal. And yet, what remains undeniably true is that nearly every patient seeking comprehensive reproductive healthcare must navigate anxieties and barriers produced by a society that has politicized bodily autonomy beyond recognition. We witness the fear of traveling hundreds of miles for care, the silence imposed by potential criminalization, the uncertainty of whether compassion will be met with judgment, and the quiet internalization of rhetoric that frames deeply personal healthcare decisions as a moral referendum rather than a human reality.

In this way, stigma itself becomes a public health issue and crisis- not only shaping access to care, but shaping the emotional conditions under which people are forced to survive, decide, and seek the care they deserve. Abortion care is healthcare because choice, freedom, autonomy and dignity are human rights– much like access to clean water, food, shelter and safety. Abortion care is safe and is at least 14 times safer than childbirth. Some studies have estimated that a complete abortion ban would increase maternal mortality by 21% (ACOG, Increasing access to abortion 2025).

As future physicians and advocates, it is our moral duty and profound privilege to recognize that the consequences of our public discourse surrounding abortion care demands our attention. Increasing our understanding of the roots of abortion care stigma, and shining a light on its destructive impact on patients, providers, and communities are vital steps to ensuring all can access the care they need; and in achieving reproductive justice for all. Our collective language regarding reproductive care has the power to shape not only policy but to restore and invite liberation, dignity, non-judgement and compassion back into our medical practices.

So, let us be reminded that healthcare rooted in empathy and evidence-based care is not radical-
but the very foundation upon which medicine itself is meant to stand.

Watch & Share

What is abortion stigma? (4.33min)
The Sea Change Program & the Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Resources:
Abortion care. ACOG. (2022).
Increasing access to abortion. ACOG. (2025, January 16).

Into ACT!ON content library. Into Action Content Library. (n.d.).
Reproductive Health Care is a Human Right

Abortion Is Health Care
UCSF Turnaway Study Shows Impact of Abortion Access on Well-Being.

NIRH Action Fund.

Note: This post was originally written for the AMSA Reproductive Health Project eNews #71 – May 23, 2026:
Getting Beyond Stigma, Centering Dignity, Combatting Mis-&-Dis Information.
Read & Share the full issue HERE

Explore the��AMSA Reproductive Health Project
Find news, tips, tools, opportunities�� & more!

��for AMSA Repro Project Updates

The post Beyond Stigma: Centering Dignity, Freedom, and Choice in Reproductive Health appeared first on AMSA.

SPOTLIGHT ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH & JUSTICE��

Rural Reproductive Health & the Digital Divide:
Why Access Can’t Wait

Written by Jasrina Kaushal, MD, Digital Rural Health Fellow and
Taylor Spears, MD, Reproductive Health Project Fellow

Rural communities across the U.S. face a quiet crisis in reproductive and maternal health – one that doesn’t make headlines as often as it should. Nearly 2.2 million women of reproductive age live in counties without a hospital offering obstetric services, and more than 35% of U.S. counties lack a single practicing OB-GYN (March of Dimes, 2022; ACOG, 2020). Rural America represents 75% of the national landmass and is home for almost 23% of U.S. women aged 18 years and older. (ACOG, Health Disparities in Rural Women 2014, reaffirmed 2024) For many patients, this means driving over an hour just to make a routine prenatal appointment – care that, for a normal pregnancy alone, spans multiple visits across all three trimesters.

And that’s the straightforward case. For patients navigating high-risk pregnancies – twin gestations, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes for example, the stakes are higher and the need for consistent, specialized monitoring is even more critical. In rural settings, where access to imaging, labs, and emergency obstetric care is often limited, delays in care aren’t just inconvenient. They can be genuinely dangerous. Less than one half of rural women live within a 30-minute drive to the nearest hospital offering prenatal services. Similarly, proportionately fewer women living in rural areas have access to the recommended preventive screenings for breast and cervical cancer. (ACOG, Health Disparities in Rural Women 2014, reaffirmed 2024)

These aren’t abstract statistics. They’re the realities shaping the health of patients in communities across the country, and they’re part of what drives the conversation about how we build a more equitable healthcare system.

Digital health tools aren’t a fix-all, but they’re increasingly proving to be a meaningful piece of the puzzle. Remote monitoring, telehealth consultations, and patient education platforms can support earlier detection of complications and help patients stay engaged in their care, even when the nearest specialist is miles away.

This is where the AMSA Digital Rural Health Corps comes in. A national, student-led initiative, the Corps deploys trained medical and pre-medical students into rural communities to provide hands-on, one-on-one support helping residents navigate digital healthcare tools. The program equips students to help patients effectively use things like patient portals, telehealth platforms, and online prescription services – but beyond the immediate impact on patients, there’s another dimension worth highlighting: exposure matters. Research consistently shows that trainees who engage with rural communities are significantly more likely to practice in rural areas long-term (National Rural Health Association, 2021). Programs like this aren’t just about the patients we serve today, they’re about building the workforce rural communities will need tomorrow.

Some other recommendations to help with the advancement of rural healthcare include participating in and promoting research to determine factors and conditions that support the retention of OB/GYNs in�� rural areas, advocating for increased access to contraceptive methods and emergency contraception, advocating for the availability of safe and accessible abortion services, and participating in or encouraging research on education, employment, and poverty disparities that affect the health of women living in rural areas. (ACOG, Health Disparities in Rural Women 2014, reaffirmed 2024)

There’s still so much more work to do. Digital tools are a bridge, not a destination. But every student trained, every patient supported, and every conversation started about rural health equity moves us a little closer to the care these communities deserve.

Want to get involved?

Learn more about the AMSA Digital Rural Health Corps HERE. If you’re a medical or pre-medical student interested in becoming a Digital Health Navigator, applications are open, and our next virtual training session is Monday, May 11th at 7:00 PM ET – register

Resources:��

• Health disparities in rural women. ACOG. (n.d.) –
• WHEN WOMEN ARE DESERTED: The Prevalence and Intersection of Abortion Care Deserts, Pregnancy Care Deserts, Broadband Internet Deserts, and Food Deserts in the United States – National Women’s Law Center –

The post Rural Reproductive Health & the Digital Divide: Why Access Can’t Wait appeared first on AMSA.

SPOTLIGHT ON BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH

“Rooted in Justice & Joy”
#BMHW26

Written by Taylor Spears, MD, AMSA Reproductive Health Project Fellow

The second week of April is an important week for maternal health, research and empowerment. is a movement founded by the and takes place annually on April 11th-17th. April was intentionally chosen as it is also . Black Mamas Matter Alliance is a “network of Black-led/Black women-led organizations and multi-disciplinary professionals who work to ensure that all Black Mamas have the rights, respect, and resources to thrive before, during, and after pregnancy.”��

After doing more research about the movement, one of the most interesting facts shared by Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. is that they are banded together in support of Black mothers whether they have borne children or not. They fight for the rights of community mothers, those who continuously take care of others without looking for any form of repayment outside of the betterment of their community and home. BMMA provides facts about maternal health and reproductive health in an easy to find and easy to understand manner. Some of these facts will be shared during Black Maternal Health Week on AMSA’s Instagram page . They even provide a mental health fact sheet for and about black mothers (see link below).

This highlights the idea that we have to stop ignoring the facts. We believe research in every other aspect, but when approached with the continued mistreatment of African American patients, some people turn a blind eye. The facts are the facts and the research is real, so what are you going to do about it?��

In the U.S., Black Women are over 3 times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women. CDC notes that more than 80% of pregnancy related deaths are preventable.

What can we do as students?? As medical students, there are several ways to support this movement. As AMSA members, we offer the opportunity to hold your own chapter event during Black Maternal Health Week where you can enjoy a film screening, host an issue education session, or indulge in the education of our Manual Vacuum Aspiration training, etc. Short on time that week? No problem. AMSA offers these opportunities year round, and you can display your interest by completing one or all of the following forms:��

Outside of AMSA, you can support and volunteer with your local organizations that advocate for Black mamas and recognize and bring light to the disproportionate rate of maternal morbidity and mortality of Black mothers. Also, research! Lead or join research projects that help us to better understand the causes of the disproportionate risks between Black women and others. Educate yourself and others on how we can make our pregnancies easier, healthier, and make the proper care more accessible.�� You can use your platform to amplify the movement and share facts about the movement, reproductive justice, and reproductive rights. Several of these posts can be found on the AMSA Instagram page during Black Maternal Health Week and simply shared. To increase awareness and enhance the interactions your posts receive, use hashtags #BMHW26, #BlackMamasMatter, #BlackMaternalHealthWeek, and #BlackMaternalHealth.��

We desire to assist you in your advocacy efforts and journey, as we do our part as an organization to support Black Maternal Health Week.
Email us here rhp@amsa.org��

Resource to Explore & Share:

• 2026 Black Maternal Health Week National Call, Black Mamas Matter Alliance –��
• , Black Mamas Matter Alliance
• Raising awareness for Black maternal health, 11 Alive –��
• ProPublica Investigation on How Hospitals Are Failing Black Mothers, Planned Parenthood Florida Action –��
• Holding Ground on Maternal Health:��Maternal Health Awareness Day 2026 ACOG Webinar with Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine –��

Research to Explore & Share:

• Why Access to Abortion Care Matters for Black Maternal Health,��The Century Foundation –��
• From Crisis to Commitment: Ending the Epidemic of Maternal Mortality among Black Women: A Call to Action, Health & Social Work –��
• Why Aren’t We Using Family Medicine to Help Confront the Maternal Mortality Crisis in the United States?��Obstetric Anesthesia Digest –��

Upcoming Opportunities to Explore & Share:

• April 11 Online @ 2:30pmE –��Black Maternal Health & Birth Justice Across Regions: In Honor of International Day for Maternal Health and Rights –��
• April 13 Online @12:00pmE��– #BMHW26 Virtual Pep Rally: Black Maternal Health in Your Neighborhood –��
• April 16 Online @ 6:00pmE��– Beyond the Binary—Black Trans Family Building in a World Not Built for US –��

The post “Rooted in Justice & Joy” Spotlight on Black Maternal Health Week appeared first on AMSA.

AMSA Celebrates Today’s Abortion Care providers & Nurtures Tomorrow’s

Today, March 10, we invite you to join us in celebrating Abortion Provider Appreciation Day, which honors and lifts up abortion providers. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the day’s founding, intended to honor the life and service of Dr. David Gunn, who was murdered by an anti-abortion extremist on March 10, 1993.

In the more than 30 years since Dr. Gunn’s murder, abortion providers have continued to face threats, harassment, and violence. And since the Dobbs decision in 2022 overturned Roe, clinicians increasingly face the risk of criminalization for providing abortion care even for miscarriage management.��

And yet, every day, abortion providers, clinic staff, and volunteers make the commitment to provide the life-affirming and life-saving care they are trained to provide to people who need an abortion. This is one way that radical love-in-action looks like.

Today and every day, AMSA honors their courage and their conviction to provide abortion care even in the face of these ongoing risks and threats. We affirm that reproductive health services are essential to comprehensive health care, and we support full access to the entire range of reproductive services. We believe safe, voluntary abortions should be available to all who need them, regardless of how much they earn, who they work for, or where they live.

The is here to support tomorrow’s abortion providers and future physician advocates for reproductive health, rights, and justice. If you are planning to provide abortion care – and even if you aren’t planning to – we welcome you to participate in any of the RHP programs. Additionally, AMSA Chapters can receive financial and programmatic support from the AMSA RHP for chapter events.

Medical students, we hope you’ll consider joining us in Asheville for the Summer 2026 AMSA Abortion Care and Reproductive Justice Institutes! Just a few open spots remaining – learn more and apply today!

For more about abortion care and Abortion Provider Appreciation Day check out the resources below and on Instagram and
to receive the AMSA Reproductive Health Project Newsletter delivered to your inbox every other Saturday!

EXPLORE the resources below from Abortion Care Providers, Trainers, Allies & Truth-Tellers

CHECK-OUT & SHARE our APAD Thank You posts

Why Can’t it Just be Okay – A Poem about Abortion Care

Written by Aliye Runyan, MD, FACOG, OB-GYN, Complex Family Planning subspecialist
& AMSA Reproductive Health Project Strategist

Routine
Mundane
Another medical procedure that we accept
Can sometimes be necessary,
Life saving,
Difficult –
But not always.
Not every end to a pregnancy is sad
Some pregnancies end in joyous birth
Some end with grief for what could have been
Some end with a sigh of relief
Freedom to be a parent or not to be
Freedom to choose one’s path in life
Abortion is an act of love
Abortion is common
Safe
Should not be an undue burden to access
Why can’t it just be okay
The story of abortion is made to be
Black and white
Good vs evil
When it is simply a part of life
Part of a person’s reproductive journey
Part of being a human
Abortion is an act of love
Why can’t it just be okay

We share this poem as part of our annual honoring and recognition of .
Why Can’t it Just be Okay��was published originally within – a collection of poems curated by the Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM),�� a peer-reviewed, international, open access journal that explores emerging, neglected and marginalized issues across the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights.

ABORTION CARE NETWORK��

The Abortion Care Network (ACN) supports and strengthens independent abortion providers, ensuring they have the resources, training, and advocacy needed to deliver compassionate care. Their work helps keep clinics open and accessible for communities across the country.
Website
Instagram

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICIANS & GYNECOLOGISTS

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is a leading voice in OB/GYN care, medical education, and advocacy. Their work supports providers, patients, and policies that protect and expand reproductive health access, including abortion care.
Website
Instagram��

NATIONAL ABORTION FEDERATION

The National Abortion Federation (NAF) ensures that abortion care is safe, accessible, and high-quality by providing training, support, and advocacy for providers. They also offer financial assistance and resources to help patients overcome barriers to care.
Website
Instagram��

NATIONAL NETWORK OF ABORTION FUNDS

The National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF) works to eliminate financial and logistical barriers to abortion care. Through a coalition of nearly 100 grassroots organizations, they provide direct support so that cost and access are never obstacles to reproductive freedom.
Website
Instagram��

PLANNED PARENTHOOD

For over a century, Planned Parenthood has been a trusted provider of reproductive health care, education, and advocacy. Their commitment to accessible, patient-centered care ensures that millions can make informed decisions about their health and futures.
Website
Instagram��

SOCIETY OF FAMILY PLANNING

The Society of Family Planning advances science, research, and education in sexual and reproductive health. By supporting evidence-based policies and medical education, they help improve abortion and contraception care worldwide.
Website

MEDICAL STUDENTS FOR CHOICE

Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) is dedicated to training and empowering future abortion providers by ensuring medical students receive the education and support they need to provide reproductive health care. Their advocacy strengthens the next generation of providers committed to abortion access and reproductive justice.
Website
Instagram

PHYSICIANS FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Physicians for Reproductive Health trains and supports physician-advocates to protect and expand abortion care access.�� Through medical education, advocacy, and leadership training, they ensure that abortion care remains accessible, patient-centered, and evidence-based. Their commitment empowers both providers and communities to fight for reproductive freedom.
Website
Instagram

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ACCESS PROJECT

Reproductive Health Access Project expands abortion care, contraception, and miscarriage care by training and supporting primary care clinicians. Their work ensures that reproductive health care is accessible, evidence-based, and integrated into primary care settings.
Website
Instagram

TEACH-Training in Early Abortion for Comprehensive Healthcare

TEACH�� equips clinicians with the skills and training needed to provide compassionate, patient-centered abortion care. By integrating abortion education into primary care, they expand access to safe and comprehensive reproductive health services.
Website
Instagram

THE RYAN PROGRAM: RESIDENCY TRAINING IN ABORTION & FAMILY PLANNING

The Ryan Program advances family planning and abortion training in OB/GYN residency programs, ensuring that future physicians are equipped to provide comprehensive reproductive health care. Their work strengthens abortion access by integrating it into medical education.
Website

REPRO TLC

Repro TLC (formerly Midwest Access Project) supports abortion and family planning educators, ensuring they have the tools to train the next generation of compassionate, skilled reproductive health providers. Their work strengthens teaching, learning, and community in reproductive health care.
Website
Instagram

PHYSICIANS FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Physicians for Reproductive Health trains and supports physician-advocates to protect and expand abortion care access.�� Through medical education, advocacy, and leadership training, they ensure that abortion care remains accessible, patient-centered, and evidence-based. Their commitment empowers both providers and communities to fight for reproductive freedom.
Website
Instagram

GUTTMACHER INSTITUTE

Advancing sexual & reproductive health & rights worldwide for more than 55 years. High-quality research. Evidence-Based Advocacy. Strategic Communications.
Website
Instagram

CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

The Center for Reproductive Rights uses the power of law to advance reproductive rights as fundamental human rights around the world.
Website
Instagram

WE TESTIFY

We Testify uses the power of real stories to change how people see abortion. Through the stories we tell, we build community, leadership, and power. We Testify storytelling also expands conversations through films like produced with Planned Parenthood. *Arrange Viewings to Engage Your Classmates with the AMSA Repro Project – Link
Website
Instagram

ALL ABOVE ALL

All Above All is building a future where abortion is affordable, available, and supported for anyone who seeks care. #AbortionJustice.
Website
Instagram

ABORTION ACCESS FRONT

The Abortion Access Front is a team of comedians, activists, writers, and producers that uses humor to destigmatize abortion and expose the extremist anti-choice forces working to destroy access to reproductive rights in all 50 states.
Website
Instagram

SYA – SHOUT YOUR ABORTION

SYA makes resources, campaigns, and media intended to arm existing activists, create new ones, and foster collective participation in abortion access all over the country.
Website
Instagram

REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM FOR ALL

Reproductive Freedom For All, formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America, has helped lead the charge for over 50 years in the fight for abortion rights, access to birth control, parental leave policies, and pregnancy protections.
Website
Instagram

M&A HOTLINE

The M+A (Miscarriage and Abortion) Hotline – a team of volunteer clinicians with decades of experience in miscarriage and abortion. Call or Text 1-833-246-2632.��

Website
Instagram

MIFE IN ALL 50 – EMAA PROJECT

“Mife” (pronounced “MIFF-ee”) is mifepristone, a safe, FDA‑approved abortion pill used for over 25 years. Science shows it’s safe. Healthcare providers say it’s essential. Anti‑abortion politicians? They’re trying to take it away.

Website

ABORTIONFINDER

AbortionFinder.org was created to provide clear, up-to-date information about the availability of abortion care across the country. AbortionFinder is operated by Bedsider, a project of Power to Decide.

Website Instagram

PLAN C PILLS��

Plan C is a public health creative campaign on abortion pill access, started in 2015 by a small team of veteran public health advocates, researchers, social justice activists. Plan C works to transform access to abortion in the US by normalizing the self-directed option of abortion pills by mail.

Website
Instagram

Explore the AMSA Reproductive Health Project
Find news, tips, tools, opportunities�� & more!

for AMSA Repro Project Updates

The post AMSA Celebrates Today’s Abortion Care Providers & Nurtures Tomorrow’s appeared first on AMSA.

Taylor Attends CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting

Written by Taylor Spears, MD, AMSA Reproductive Health Project Fellow

As a new medical graduate, my attendance at the Annual Meeting of the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics & Gynecology and the Association of Professors of Gynecology & Obstetrics (CREOG/APGO) was nothing short of amazing!
It was such an inspiring experience to be in the room with so many people of prestige. From educators, program directors, program managers, program chairs, residents, and medical students, the opportunities were endless. We came together in several sessions to discuss AI in the field of OB/GYN, resident wellness, microaggression in medical education, conflict resolution, etc.��

I was granted the chance to connect with amazing medical experts in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology, who also offered a deeper dive into resident education. A few of my favorite interactions included an Improv Workshop that allowed two people to take on the roles of patient and physician. In this workshop, I took the role of the patient, as many of the attendees had a much more extensive medical background than I. During this experience, I felt very deep emotion in my role which I am sure, when integrated into a resident curriculum, would allow the space for deep empathy.��

In the exhibit hall, I was able to participate in a simulation to remove retained products of conception. I also simulated two vaginal births, one without complications and one with shoulder dystocia of the infant. I was able to practice McRoberts maneuver and delivery of the infant’s posterior shoulder in this one simulation. Also present in the exhibit hall were poster presentations of several researchers that I enjoyed viewing and discussing.��

One of my greatest joys during this week of events was connecting with people who expressed genuine excitement to have me in the room.��

True educators are always excited to receive questions from an inquisitive mind; a learner, as I’ve been called. I want to send a huge thank you to the coordinators, organizers, speakers, and staff for putting together a great experience and learning opportunity at the . I hope to see you all in the upcoming years!!��

###

See more photos of Taylor’s trip to CREOG/APOG

Explore the AMSA Reproductive Health Project
Find news, tips, tools, opportunities�� & more!

for AMSA Repro Project Updates

The post Taylor Attends CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting appeared first on AMSA.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH
SPOTLIGHT ON REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE��

Not Your Experiment: The Experimentation of African Americans in the name of “Medical Advancement”��

Written by Taylor Spears, MD, Reproductive Health Project Fellow

As a Black woman in medicine, I recognize the history of medicine and its effect on minority populations, specifically the African American population, are often responsible for the distrust that is frequently observed in patient rooms today.��

Far too often, Black women and men have been subjected to harmful conditions and used as nonconsenting experiments under the guise of “medical advancement.”��

From the Tuskegee Experiment, to government environmental experiments on urban communities, to physical and surgical experimentation experienced by enslaved people. In my position as Reproductive Health Project Fellow, in this first week of Black History Month, I feel it is most appropriate to bring acknowledgement to the Mothers of Gynecology.

Anarcha, Betsey, and Lucy were enslaved black, teenage girls in Montgomery County, Alabama in the 1840’s. Without consent, they were subjected to gynecologic experimentation by Dr. J. Marion Sims. During these experiments, there was no pain management administered for even the slightest bit of comfort for these women, in what was already an inevitably uncomfortable situation both psychologically and physically.��

Dr. Sims’ “medical treatment” was sought by the enslavers of Betsey, Anarcha, and Lucy after they experienced long term complications of childbirth. Sims experimented on at least ten enslaved women during this time, some undergoing 30 or more procedures. These procedures were often witnessed by other curious physicians; and, as enslaved people, consent was not a legal requirement, as slaves were viewed as property.��

Sims went on to be known for his “discoveries”, some being discontinued shortly after, while the young ladies used in these experiments were forgotten in the background of history. It should be noted that the enslavers of these women likely sought treatment driven by their desire for these women to continue working and childbearing. Even today, black women’s pain is not taken seriously nor is it managed properly. Only recently, were the Mothers of Gynecology recognized for their involuntary contributions to the field of medicine. Today, we share our empathy and gratitude for the Mothers of Gynecology.

“Reproductive Justice is a framework that focuses on the combination of reproductive rights, human rights, and social justice.” – Loretta Ross

Resources

• Explore – The Mothers of Gynecology Museum

Deeper Dives

The Mothers of Gynecology: What Medicine Owes Anarcha, Betsey & Lucy

Elevate Black Wellness (12min) –��

• Mothers of Gynecology,��University of Michigan, Center for History, Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, Ethics and Medicine (2hrs)
  Speakers include: Michelle Browder, Drs. Lisa Harris, Veronica Pimentel, Althea Maybank and Miss Raven Ford –��
• Abortion Rights in the States: Anti-Abortion State Policies and Strategies to Expect in 2026, Reproaction –��
• Many Paths, One Movement: Approaches to Abortion Advocacy, The Sexual and Reproductive Justice Hub at CUNY School of Public Health –��

This post is excerpted from our AMSA Reproductive Health Project eNews #64 – February 7, 2026 – Honor Their Contribution, Say Their Names: Anarcha, Betsey & Lucy

Explore the��AMSA Reproductive Health Project
Find news, tips, tools, opportunities�� & more!

��for AMSA Repro Project Updates

The post BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPOTLIGHT ON REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE – Not Your Experiment: The Experimentation of African Americans in the name of “Medical Advancement” appeared first on AMSA.

Cultivating Connection, Belonging, and Hope at AMSA

Written by Nikitha Balaji, AMSA National President and Donya Ahmadian, AMSA Legislative Affairs Director

In the last several months, we have thought deeply about what we love so much about our AMSA community and the ways we can continue to nurture meaningful connections with you. This is of course important always, and especially in this current moment, as the very nature of what we hold dear can feel at risk. As we lean into the holiday season, it is especially important that we consider the value of coming together and to create spaces where this connection can flourish.��

As this year has evolved, we have witnessed increasing attempts to deny us all our fundamental human rights. In the face of this, we know that it is an especially hard time to be a student, and, moreso, a difficult time to exist in our full personhood. Between the rigor of our lives as students and the deeply troubling times we are living in, it is easy to feel disconnected, disjointed, and fragmented from a sense of community and this world. That is where the safe harbor that we have built together can stand tall- a place where we can rest and return to ourselves. At times such as these, AMSA endeavors to provide structured support and companionship in equal measure, as we find the courage within ourselves and in others to call for a more just version of medicine, medical education, and our world.��

In the fight for universal human rights and health justice for all, we at AMSA want to affirm that hope is a verb. We enact hope when we tell our stories, organize for collective action, and gather together to make a difference. This important work is made possible when we are empowered to connect with one another as a practice of Love, and in doing so, we open ourselves up to the experience of joy in manifesting Beloved Community. Whether you are feeling energized, exhausted, hopeful, heavy-hearted, or a mix of these and so many more- as we often are- this space is for you.

With hope is a verb in mind we invite you to join us in slowing down together as we draw the year to a close with our first Community Building Holiday Happy Hour, December 21st at 5:00 PM ET. This virtual gathering will be the first of many that has been intentionally designed with you in mind- a place to rest our hearts, minds, and spirits. and we would love to practice this art of stillness together. Our original invitation can be found below.��

Know that however this season is meeting you,
you will forever and always have a seat saved for you in this circle.��

The post Cultivating Connection, Belonging, and Hope at AMSA appeared first on AMSA.

Labor Day Crossword Puzzle from the AMSA Repro Project

Enjoy some puzzling fun this Labor Day weekend while reviewing “labor” related medical terminology!

Play online below or print PDF

Click Here for Answer Sheet

We gratefully acknowledge and thank the following sources for sharing of these terms and definitions:

UW Medicine – Patient Education

March of Dimes – Contraction and signs of labor

*Note: this puzzle is included in AMSA Reproductive Health Project eNews
#53 Post-Dobbs Priorities & Labor Day Puzzle Fun! August 30, 2025

Explore the AMSA Reproductive Health Project
Find news, tips, tools, opportunities�� & more!

for AMSA Repro Project Updates

The post New Puzzle! Find Labor Terms in Labor Day Crossword from AMSA Repro Project appeared first on AMSA.

Priorities of a Pro-Abortion OB/GYN Applicant: How the Dobbs Decision Has Shaped the Match

Written by Elissa Cleland, AMSA Vice President for Internal Affairs,
and M4 at Eastern Virginia Medical School

When I applied to medical school in 2021, I applied broadly. From California to Florida, geographic location mattered far less in my checklist for my education than early patient exposure and a free-run clinic. Four years later, I am applying to OB/GYN residency with a very different set of parameters.��

Will I receive evidence-based medical training?��

Will I be protected by my institution if I make a life-saving clinical decision for my patient in an extreme, anti-abortion state?��

Will I be criminalized for providing patient-centered care?

These are not questions I anticipated having to consider at this point in my education. The hostile political environment has narrowed my options tremendously. As I scour the residency Instagrams and applicant reddits, I am noting programs’ stances on advocacy, LGBT+ support, and comprehensive abortion training. I thought I would be looking for culture between co-residents, but instead I’m ensuring programs uphold bodily autonomy. This has made the northeast and west coast programs sanctuaries for pro-abortion, aspiring OB/GYNs. They are supersaturated with applicants, providers, and also patients.

Not only do I have to be aware of state laws and institutional policies,
but even states that are safely blue are not unaffected by the overturning of Roe v. Wade.��

New York City hospitals have been inundated with medical refugees, pregnant people fleeing from their totalitarian home states to receive comprehensive prenatal care. Anecdotally, residents have even warned prospective applicants away from some of these programs as they are overworked and underpaid, suffering from the undue burden of an increased patient load.

From my own experience at the start of this application cycle, abortion care is a highly-discussed topic. Attending a meet and greet for one religious institution, I was surprised that one slide was wholly dedicated to how residents still receive abortion training despite their hospital’s restrictions. The residents were emphatic that the culture was unequivocally pro-choice even amongst faculty. During the ACOG OB/GYN virtual showcase this past week, the sentiment seems to be a theme. As important as research opportunities and fellowship support, programs are equally emphasizing advocacy and DEI efforts. They seem to know this is an important priority amongst students and are catering to this shift in focus.

Another transition for OB/GYN applicants is how competitive this specialty has become. During my very first medical school lecture, OB/GYN was labeled as a mildly competitive specialty in terms of match rates and average step scores. However, in the wake of the 2025 match with only 10 unfilled positions nationwide(1), my advisor has taken on a different sense of urgency and caution. Applicants that might have seemed to be safe in the past, had reportedly low interview offers this past cycle. I speculate this could be partially influenced by the switch from ERAS to ResidancyCAS in 2023 and the learning curve of program signaling. However, studies have shown that OB/GYN residencies have been increasingly competitive over the last two decades in terms of program standards and applicant metrics.��

Post Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, states with stricter abortion bans have seen a statistically significant decrease in OB/GYN residency applicants(2).��

Alabama has the lowest number of women’s health providers in the nation(3). Not only are they losing practicing physicians, they are also losing prospective residents. The state saw a 21.2% decrease in OB/GYN residency applicants from 2023-2024 post Dobbs, a drastic drop from the year prior(4). There is an undeniable connection between abortion restrictions and OB/GYN providers and trainees. Therefore, it seems OB/GYN as a whole has not become statistically more competitive, but certain geographic regions have become highly competitive. A program that was once mid-tier might be elevated in status if the state is pro-abortion. This change in topography has been difficult to trend and has made the match highly unpredictable for OB/GYN applicants.

As the interview cycle begins, it is obvious the lasting impact the current societal conservatism has had on the landscape of medicine. Not only has it created a disparity in applicants by region, but also exacerbated health inequities across the nation. The administration has sounded the alarm for declining birth rates, yet continues to pass legislation that drives out obstetricians and limits prenatal care. Abortion is prenatal care. It ensures a birthing person won’t have to choose between motherhood and her own life. Abortion ensures a mother might have the chance to become a mother again. Although I am outraged for the women who will be abandoned in these women’s health deserts, I feel an obligation to pursue my education in a state that will expose me to comprehensive abortion training. Evidently, I am not alone in this ideal.��

The burden to make these states hospitable to physicians falls solely on the shoulders of the politicians embracing religious fanaticism and puritanism,
not prospective clinicians clinging to medical ethics.��

The next generation of OB/GYNs has clearly indicated what we prioritize, but will politicians hear us?����������������

1. National resident matching program® releases the 2025 Main Residency Match® results, celebrates the next generation of Physicians. NRMP. (2025, March 21). https://www.nrmp.org/about/news/2025/03/national-resident-matching-program-releases-the-2025-main-residency-match-results-celebrates-the-next-generation-of-physicians/
2. Hammoud MM, Morgan HK, George K, et al. Trends in Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Applications in the Year After Abortion Access Changes. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(2):e2355017. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.55017
3. America’s Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2025.
4. Rocha, A. (2024, May 21). Alabama OB-GYN residencies dropped over 20% after Dobbs, state abortion ban, says analysis. Alabama Reflector. https://alabamareflector.com/2024/05/21/alabama-medical-residencies-dropped-over-20-after-dobbs-state-abortion-ban-says-analysis/

###

*Note: this Spotlight is included in AMSA Reproductive Health Project eNews
#53 Post-Dobbs Priorities & Labor Day Puzzle Fun! August 30, 2025

Find the current and past issues in the AMSA Repro eNews Archive.

��

Explore the AMSA Reproductive Health Project
Find news, tips, tools, opportunities�� & more!

for AMSA Repro Project Updates

The post Priorities of a Pro-Abortion OB/GYN Applicant: How the Dobbs Decision Has Shaped the Match appeared first on AMSA.