Interview: Jill Lafer – Abortion is Essential
As the 2020 election approaches and the threat of increasingly restrictive abortion laws is ever-looming, fiduciary support and grassroots advocacy is as important as ever. Musée was lucky enough to interview Jill Lafer – a fierce leader in the fight for sexual and reproductive health and advocacy. Jill is the former board chair of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and currently serves on the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Board, Global Advisory Board, and their Political Action Committee. Jill’s insightful assessment on the current political climate emphasizes why safe and legal access to abortions is a vital part of comprehensive health care in the U.S. – especially during this COVID-19 crisis.
Alessandra Schade: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe – do you think that overcrowded hospitals and healthcare institutions will be able to recognize (while juggling the battle to curb virus transmission) that sexual and reproductive health services are essential to women?
Jill Lafer: Abortion is essential. Reproductive health is essential. Sexual and reproductive health care issues don’t disappear during a public health crisis. People still have sex. They still need birth control, STI testing and treatment, and safe, legal abortion. In fact, in a time of crisis, they may need it more. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology confirm that abortion is an essential and time-sensitive medical procedure. I believe the same hospitals and healthcare institutions that provided safe and timely access to women will continue to do so. The ones that have historically not will use this pandemic to deny women these services. Abortion is extremely time-sensitive. Even a delay of only a few weeks can make abortion completely inaccessible. Additional barriers can make accessing abortion more dangerous. For example, forcing people to drive out of state for their abortions, thus risking their exposure to coronavirus.
Alessandra Schade: You’ve been a leader in the woman’s reproductive rights and health movement for over 30 years – what is the biggest change you’ve seen in regards to this ongoing political battle?
Jill Lafer: The biggest changes we have all seen have occurred since the 2010 midterm elections. There have been concerted efforts to attack so many of our fundamental rights such as access to birth control, access to health insurance and especially our right to access abortion. This pandemic has highlighted these political efforts and what we can continue to expect if the Republicans remain in control. Republican politicians are exploiting the fear and urgency of this moment to push their political agenda to ban abortion. The stakes could not be higher in 2020. Our rights and freedoms are on the line.
Schade: In Utah, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Louisiana, officials are currently contesting a woman’s right to an abortion – despite abortion providers’ protestations that medical abortions are not surgical procedures that require the use of medical facilities, resources, or protective equipment. Should we be scared that the women’s reproductive right movement will face serious setbacks because of this pandemic?
Lafer: Certain politicians have been trying to ban abortion and attack our reproductive rights for decades - they see COVID-19 as an opening to promote the same political agenda they have been pushing for years. The good news is, many of the courts are denying these restrictions. The reproductive rights movement continues to fight back against these restrictions. These are the same states that introduce various restrictions including the TRAP laws that have, so far, mostly been banned by the courts. New polling shows that Americans don't support politicians exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to attack safe, legal abortion and restrict access to time-sensitive reproductive health care. There are many things you can do to fight back. The most important thing folks can do to fight back is to vote for elected official who will protect their fundamental right to birth control and abortion. Also, Planned Parenthood advocacy and political organizations have launched a $5 million accountability project in 11 states. This project helps people connect the dots between their elected officials’ record on health care and access to this vital care amidst a pandemic.
Schade: It’s becoming apparent that anti-abortion groups and some governments are exploiting this situation to deny women and girls access to abortion services. During this health crisis, what can we do to help women seek-out safe abortion options?
Lafer: For anyone who needs to access abortion information or services, I recommend reaching out to your local Planned Parenthood health center. Their doors have remained open. They can ensure you know all of your options and how to access care, especially now. I also recommend people support their local independent abortion providers and local abortion funds These organizations are so key in helping people access abortion, especially if they need to travel, find childcare and to ensure people can get access to the care that they need.
Schade: If you could send one message to women who are scared that their female reproductive rights will be taken away, what would you say to them?
Lafer: Fight back and vote! Organize, talk to family and friends about what’s at stake, and about why it's important to have leaders in office who will protect our rights. Get involved!
Schade: What can men do to help as allies and supporting advocates of the women’s health movement?
Lafer: These are not just women issues – these issues affect us all. Male allies should organize, and vote to help elect reproductive rights champions. They should be bold in their support.
Schade: How do you envision the future of women’s reproductive rights?
Lafer: Technology and medical advancement have moved the needle in a positive direction for women’s reproductive health. LARCs, Long Acting Reversible Contraception, Medical abortions, and Tele-health are all advancements that have provided more accessibility to more women for safe care. That said, we should be working to end the systematic racism that contributes to the medical mistreatment of Black communities. Structural and socioeconomic barriers to health care lead to the disparities you see in diagnosis, treatment, and mortality rates between Black women, Hispanic women, and non-Hispanic White women - and this is something we are seeing play out now in the pandemic. However, I remain optimistic about the future of reproductive rights. I envision a world where we all have access to reproductive health care — regardless of socio economic status or zip code.
Photographs are courtesy of Jazzmine Beaulieu who has been documenting Viva Ruiz’s Thank God for Abortion (TGFA) movement. TGFA tries to eliminate the criminalizing stigma around abortion “one t-shirt at a time,” and was conceived in 2015 in response to the catastrophic closing of abortion clinics throughout the US.
