Abortion Policy, Law & PoliticsPortland OB-GYN Mary Fariba Afsari has written a memoir titled 'Labor: One Woman’s Work,' detailing her experiences providing reproductive and medical care, including through a mobile women's health clinic in a converted RV. The memoir also shares the story of her grandmother in Iran, who died from an illegal abortion, highlighting the ongoing challenges in abortion access amid recent legal changes.
Read →Abortion Policy, Law & PoliticsA federal judge in Eugene ruled that Oregon Right to Life does not have to comply with the state's 2017 Reproductive Health Equity Act requiring most private health insurance plans to cover abortion and contraception, citing the group's First Amendment religious freedom rights. The ruling grants a narrow exemption only to Oregon Right to Life as a religious employer and does not change coverage requirements for other employers in Oregon.
Read →Abortion Drugs & PracticesThe U.S. Supreme Court ruled to maintain telehealth access to the abortion drug mifepristone while a legal challenge from Louisiana continues, allowing medication abortions to remain accessible in Oregon both in person and via telehealth. Planned Parenthood leaders in Oregon noted that restricting telehealth access would limit abortion options for rural and urban patients who rely on mailed medication, despite abortion being legal in the state.
Read →Abortion Policy, Law & PoliticsA federal judge in Oregon ruled that the state's 2017 Reproductive Health Equity Act, which requires insurance plans to cover abortions and contraception, violates the constitutional rights of Oregon Right to Life. The ruling temporarily exempts the Keizer-based nonprofit from the law's coverage mandate, sparking responses from Oregon officials and advocacy groups about the impact on reproductive health access.
Read →Abortion Policy, Law & PoliticsOregon's Legislature passed HB 4088, expanding shield laws to protect providers of abortion and gender-affirming care from out-of-state legal actions and making related patient and provider information confidential. The bill also prohibits extradition of individuals for providing care legal in Oregon and restricts cooperation with federal or out-of-state investigations, reinforcing protections amid increasing legal challenges in other states.
Read →Abortion Drugs & PracticesA coalition led by the ACLU of Oregon, Basic Rights Oregon, and Planned Parenthood has ended its campaign to amend the Oregon Constitution to guarantee rights to transgender health care, abortion, and same-sex marriage. The initiative, known as Equal Rights for All or Initiative 33, faced political challenges and would have expanded anti-discrimination protections and repealed a voided same-sex marriage ban in Oregon.
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