Womb Slaves Unite
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Happy Wednesday Healthcare Advocates
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Website
A friend asked me if there was a searchable collection of our past articles. While it may improve when I learn more, the current version is here. I will put the link in our resources section below.
COVID News
If licensed/authorized by the FDA and recommended by the CDC, updated vaccines will be available as early as mid-September at your local pharmacy or doctor’s office.
What can you do to protect yourself and others as we learn more?
New variants are among us. That means you can still take the following actions to protect yourself and others from infection:
Get your COVID-19 vaccines, as recommended
Stay home if you are sick
Get tested for COVID-19 if you are sick
Seek treatment if you have COVID-19 and are at high risk of getting very sick
If you choose to wear a mask, wear a high-quality one that fits well over your nose and mouth
Improve ventilation
Wash your hands
I asked my pharmacist about the latest vaccine and she said be patient - not released yet. I’m being patient.
Cardiac Arrest News
Heart disease is the number 1 killer in the US according to the CDC. It accounts for about 22% of all deaths. There are 356,000 cardiac arrests yearly and about 90% are fatal. This is not a heart attack which is a blockage of some part of the heart blocking blood flow. With cardiac arrest the heart stops pumping altogether. Generally, it appears suddenly.
A recent study at Cedars-Sinai hospital found that about half of all cardiac arrest patients had warning signs about 24 hours prior to the event. Moreover, the symptoms were different for women than for men. Researchers found that the most prominent symptom for women 24 hours before cardiac arrest was shortness of breath. For men, chest pain was the preeminent telltale symptom. Other symptoms include fainting, racing heartbeat, dizziness, wheezing, nausea and or vomiting.
Bottom line - sudden cardiac arrest is a life threatening emergency, and you should call 911 to get emergency care as soon as possible.
Here is a link to the story, in Medical News Today.
Reproductive Rights
We reported recently that 51 cities in Texas were have made it illegal to use public roads to help someone exit the state to get an abortion. It sounds foolish and unenforceable, but could be applied after the fact, if medical records were obtained by officials. Remember that in Texas, uninvolved persons can sue if an abortion takes place and claim $10,000 in damages. In such a proceeding there could be a request for (out of state) records. Truly this is a police state and a situation very much akin to slavery in pre-civil war America. This is what happens when we allocate human rights to the states. Rights are lost.
There are four bills in Congress that are just critical to protecting women and reproductive rights. Let’s examine each one.
H.R. 782 – Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act
This bill affirms that everyone has the right to travel across state lines to seek care.
This bill prohibits anyone acting under state law from interfering with a person's ability to access out-of-state abortion services. (Abortion services include the use of any drugs that are approved to terminate pregnancies and any health care services related to an abortion, whether or not the services are provided at the same time or on the same day as the abortion.)
Specifically, the bill prohibits any person acting under state law from preventing, restricting, impeding, or retaliating against
health care providers who provide legal abortion services to out-of-state residents,
any person or entity who helps health care providers to provide such services,
any person who travels to another state to obtain such services,
any person or entity who helps another person travel to another state to obtain such services, or
the movement in interstate commerce of drugs that are approved to terminate pregnancies.
The Department of Justice may enforce this bill through civil actions; the bill also establishes a private right of action for violations. Here is a link to the bill
H.R. 3420 – My Body, My Data Act of 2023
There are some anti-abortion activists who have no problem exploiting the lack of regulations for private reproductive health data entered into online apps, websites, and search engines to go after people they suspect of having received abortion care. This bill would create privacy standards, so that our personal health data stays personal. Here is a link to the bill.
H.R. 4303 – Abortion Justice Act
Codifying Roe would restore the legal right to abortion, but that isn’t enough on its own. There have always been systemic barriers in place that prevented people from getting the care they need. This bill
Ensures equitable coverage for abortion care by requiring that any person who receives insurance or care through the government has coverage for abortion services and requiring abortion coverage in private insurance plans.
Increases access by requiring all federally funded facilities to provide or refer for abortion care when it is consistent with their scope and abilities.
It would also require all public university health centers to offer medication abortion to all students.
Advances major investments in abortion care and related services for community organizations, providers, and others, to support care delivery and accessibility including funding.
Increases the number of medical professionals who can provide abortion care by bolstering residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology to provide abortion training.
Here is a link to a summary and here is it’s location on congress.gov.
H. R. 12/S. 701 The Women’s Health Protection Act
This bill creates a new legal protection for the right to provide and access abortion care, free from medically unnecessary restrictions and bans on abortion. This is the restoration of Roe v Wade. Here is a link to the bill.
ACTION
Let’s tell our Congressperson we want them to co-sponsor and support all 4 of these bills. Their contact info is in the resources section below. If you call or email make sure to let them know your name and zipcode.
You can also use RESISTBOT to send the email below to your representative. On your cell phone text SIGN PPBTXA to 50409.
I am your constituent and I am outraged that women are treated as womb slaves in 40% of our country. In many states they are prohibited from seeking abortion care in or out of their state. In Texas they forbidden to have someone give them a ride to the airport or over the border to get an abortion (51 cities have that law). Private communications have been used to prosecute them for seeking an abortion, as in Ohio. ENOUGH. We are now in a country that more resembles 1850 where the slaves are women.
I strongly urge you to cosponsor and support
H.R. 782 -- Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act
This bill affirms that everyone has the right to travel across state lines to seek abortion care.
H.R. 3420 -- My Body, My Data Act of 2023. This bill would create privacy standards so that our personal health data stays personal.
H.R. 4303 -- Abortion Justice Act—This bill would remove systemic barriers to care and address disparities and systemic racism in reproductive health care.
H. R. 12 - The Women’s Health Protection Act - restoring the national right to abortion
Lives are at stake. Please act like it. Thank you.
RESOURCES
Healthcare Advocacy (Us)
Website
Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare
Healthcare Advocacy Reading List
Find My Elected Officials
Contact the White House https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Contact State and Federal Representatives
https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/addr/
Important Healthcare Resources
League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit
Organizations to Contact
National Nurses United Medicare4All
Physicians for a National Health Plan
Reproductive Health
NARAL - Pro Choice America
Planned Parenthood
Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has references about where to procure abortion medications. They also assist women in the process of self managed abortion or miscarriage by phone or text and will respond in an hour. Details and hours of operation at their website.
United State of Women Reproductive health page (bottom of the page) has important resources such as medical support, access to Telehealth, prescriptions by mail, and legal support references.
Practice careful communications - The Digital Defense Fund has a number of tips to keep texts, calls, and internet use private. Here is their site.
If you need financial help with an abortion try abortionfunds.org