BADT’s Abortion News Roundup (October 10, 2024) + Course Preview
A few months ago we shared a news roundup, covering a handful of Reproductive Justice topics.
Today, we’d like to zoom in on abortion topics, in particular. In light of the upcoming November elections, and in anticipation of our next cohort of our US-based Abortion Doula Course, we are staying engaged in abortion-related news.
CW: This blog will address death and harm caused by anti-abortion laws.
Abortion News Roundup
In Georgia, the abortion ban killed 28-year old Amber Nicole Thurman. At nine weeks pregnant, Thurman used medication abortion pills to terminate the pregnancy. She later went to a hospital in Atlanta due to a rare complication; she had not expelled all of the fetal tissue. The standard of care in the case of this complication (same as with a miscarriage) is antibiotics and a routine surgical procedure called dilation and curettage, or D&C. Due to Georgia’s abortion laws, she was only offered antibiotics. 20 hours into her hospital stay, with obvious signs of organ failure, doctors took Thuman back to surgery, but it was too late.
In Nevada, folks can access abortion healthcare through Medicaid. They will be the 18th state to use Medicaid funds to increase access to abortion for lower-income families.
In Florida, Republican leaders have launched an anti-Amendment 4 campaign. This type of state-sponsored propaganda, posted on the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration website, is unprecedented. Additionally, in Florida, police are showing up at the homes of folks who signed petitions related to Amendment 4, which would codify abortion rights and reverse the current six-week ban.
The Course at a Glance
In BADT’s abortion courses, participants will have the opportunity to explore what it means to be an abortion doula.
Given the Post-Roe reality, we will get into the nuance of what this work means, and we will clarify the scope of this role. We cover up-to-date federal policies and support you in understanding access in your local area.
BADT-trained abortion doulas will leave our course with some practice navigating anti-abortion rhetoric, policy, and bias. We make space to brainstorm and role play the more-vulnerable aspects of this work, such that you feel as prepared and centered as possible as you engage in this work in your communities.
Our abortion training offers direct and accurate information about what happens during various procedures, ensuring that doulas know what to expect with clients who seek abortion care in-clinic or at home. Throughout the six parts of the course, participants will build a toolbox of supports to use in direct-client care—either virtually or IRL.
The primary role of an abortion doula is to support clients in feeling as comfortable and safe as possible as they navigate their healthcare decisions and systems. Doulas offer the space for clients to gather information, process the information AND their feelings and experiences, and identify comfort measures clients can access throughout their experience.
AT BADT, we pride ourselves in covering the “business” and logistical parts of care work. Together, we will consider the logistics of how to offer abortion support and explore how doulas can contribute to access in their communities. Some doulas join abortion support collectives and others, like many full-spectrum doulas, support folks through their private birth work practices.
Finally, in this robust continuing education class, we address community and self-care for doulas. Care work is important work, and it can be quite emotionally and physically taxing. We center this conversation because we want doulas to be doing work in sustainable ways.
Join Us in Class
Learn more about the course and sign up here.
If you’re new here, welcome! We’d love for you to be a part of the BADT community! And if you're a former student, it would be a joy to learn with you again!