ACCESS at the EstroGenius Festival!

Exciting news! ACCESS is having its first ever event this weekend.

Tune in on Saturday, October 24th at 8pm ET to see me in conversation with Dr. Meera Shah, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic and author of You’re The Only One I’ve Told: The Stories Behind Abortion. After our conversation, we’ll be streaming the first episode of ACCESS. It’s a great chance to get started on the podcast if you haven’t listened yet, and if you have listened, to learn more about Dr. Shah (who you’ll recognize from episodes one and two), her work, and what our current political climate means for abortion access.

You can RSVP here (the event is pay what you can) and see the rest of the EstroGenius lineup here.

I’m also particularly proud of the episodes that have come out since I last emailed you: episode 3, about self-managed abortion, and episode 4, about later abortion. Both of these episodes feature personal stories from people who’ve actually had abortions, which is really important to me. Their stories are especially relevant given that the already precarious nature of abortion access in our country could be further devastated by the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. If abortion becomes illegal in much of the country, more people will self-manage their own abortions, and face criminalization for doing so. People who face greater barriers to abortion care are also more likely to need abortions later in pregnancy, care that is already incredibly difficult to access and could disappear entirely in certain regions.

And it’s not just the Supreme Court. Voters in Colorado are deciding on a ballot measure, Proposition 115, that would ban abortion at 22 weeks in their state. If passed, it would cut off later abortion care not just for Coloradans but for the entire region. Episode 4 features an interview with Colorado abortion provider Dr. Warren Hern, one of the only physicians in the country who is open about performing abortions in the third trimester. Doing so has made him a target — several of his colleagues have been assassinated, and there have been multiple attempts on his life.

I hope you’ll listen, and I hope you’ll tune in on Saturday!