Pregnancy Justice

Two mothers, Cherise Doyley and Brianna Bennett, were ambushed by doctors, attorneys, and a judge who held a virtual hearing – while they were in labor — to force them to undergo a cesarean section. Pregnancy is the only instance where Florida courts have ruled that a patient can be forced to undergo unwanted treatment. A state prisoner on a hunger strike has more rights to make medical decisions. That is not care. That is control. The Florida hospitals that did this need to be held accountable. We need your help. Join us, along with partners, to demand action from UF Health and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. Pregnant patients deserve better. SIGN THE PETITION: https://lnkd.in/gEn3QCqJ.

Join our fight to advance and defend the rights of pregnant people as a summer intern! Apply by March 23: https://lnkd.in/dvPAbSQc

When Cherise told us what happened to her, we knew it was wrong and that there were more stories out there like hers and Brianna's. We stand with Cherise and Brianna because pregnant people's rights shouldn't disappear in the delivery room or anywhere else. https://lnkd.in/ghr-FeTg Center for Reproductive Rights If/When/How Cherise Gordon-Doyley Elephant Circle

As leaders of U.S.-based reproductive rights organizations and Puerto Rican women, President Lourdes Rivera and If/When/How co-executive director Denise Tomasini-Joshi wrote about another chapter being added to the history of control and coercion over women’s bodies on the island. Como puertorriqueñas y líderes de organizaciones de derechos reproductivos en Estados Unidos, la presidenta de Pregnancy Justice, Lourdes Rivera, y la codirectora ejecutiva de If/When/How, Denise Tomasini-Joshi, escribieron sobre cómo el gobierno de Puerto Rico añade otro capítulo a la historia de control y coacción sobre los cuerpos femeninos en la isla. https://lnkd.in/gahyxyyJ

Join our fight to advance and defend the rights of pregnant people as a summer intern! Apply by March 23: https://lnkd.in/dvPAbSQc

For the first time, we’ve created a blueprint for state lawmakers, advocates, and legislative staff providing a roadmap with legislative options and strategies to protect and advance the rights of pregnant people. This resource connects the dots across issues that violate pregnant people's rights and helps answer questions that will improve the health and well-being of mothers, babies, and communities. The anti-abortion movement is moving with a precise focus on state law to give fertilized eggs, embryos, and fetuses full rights, to ban abortion, impose stereotypical gender roles, erase LGBTQ+ people, and criminalize pregnant people. Our blueprint can't meet every need or anticipate all state-specific challenges and factors. But it can work alongside local organizers and lawmakers to offer opportunities to protect the rights and dignity of pregnant people in the face of these attacks from the opposition. For access to the full legislative blueprint, request a copy by emailing your name and affiliation to: PJPolicy@pregnancyjusticeus.org. Read the executive summary here: https://lnkd.in/g3_MJnME.

“So what is the point of this investigation, beyond terrorizing women through control and surveillance of their bodies?” - Karen Thompson, Legal Director, Pregnancy Justice https://lnkd.in/eXCtqbC8

Pregnant people across the U.S. face increasing legal risks not only for abortion-related conduct, but for pregnancy outcomes and alleged “risky behavior.” On Thursday, Feb. 12 at 2 PM ET, join us for “Legal Rights of Pregnant People: Trends and Alternatives to Criminalization.” This one-hour webinar will feature insights from: Karen Thompson, Legal Director, Pregnancy Justice; Kim Foxx, former Cook County State’s Attorney; and Jamila Perritt MD MPH FACOG, President & CEO, Physicians for Reproductive Health. Register at ambar.org/pregnantrights

“The child welfare agency is acting as an agent of the police. There’s no distinction between the two.” - SVP Dana Sussman. In at least 70,000 cases in 21 states, The Marshall Project found parents were referred to law enforcement agencies over allegations of substance use during pregnancy, and that’s an undercount. We know it’s not about helping babies — studies show punishment can lead to poorer health outcomes for women, newborns, and families. This is about punishing pregnant people. All pregnant people deserve dignity and respect. That means informed consent before drug testing and not being intimidated by police in hospital rooms. We need health-centered, compassionate approaches instead of punishment.