The State of Reproductive Rights: What Has Changed, What to Expect and What We Can Do

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Reproductive and sexual rights have continuously been threatened during the last four years. The appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court is a prime example of political shifts that could have lasting impacts on reproductive rights.

For our January Collaboratory, we joined Amy Chen and Fabiola Carrión, both senior attorneys from the National Health Law Program, to explore what policy changes the Trump administration has made to reproductive rights and their realistic and potential impacts. We discussed what we can expect with the incoming administration as well as identify opportunities to advocate for reproductive health organizations, services, and policies that support marginalized communities.

On the local level, Cynthia Gutierrez spoke with Shanell Williams about how programs at San Francisco General Hospital are providing essential and innovative care to help clients uphold a pregnancy, birth or abortion, and postpartum experience that is filled with dignity, that is grounded in autonomy, and that uplifts individual or parenting goals.

Explored Topics

  • What impact the Trump administration had on abortion reproductive rights including the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court
  • What we can expect from the Biden administration in terms of reproductive rights
  • How we can best advocate for reproductive health organizations, services, and policies that support marginalized communities. 
  • Local efforts to address barriers and provide support to upholding reproductive rights for pregnant people experiencing significant barriers to accessing care

Moderator

Shanell Williams

Shanell Williams

Shanell Williams is the Community Engagement Specialist for the California Preterm Birth Initiative and a member of the Board of Trustees at City College of San Francisco. Over the past 16 years, Shanell has served thousands of San Franciscans as an informed, passionate and dedicated public advocate, nonprofit leader and community organizer. From mentoring youth trapped in cycles of incarceration—to saving city college from a near loss of accreditation and closure for the past four years— Shanell has worked tirelessly to improve all San Franciscan’s quality of life. 

Speakers

Amy Chen

Amy Chen

Amy Chen is a Senior Staff Attorney in the National Health Law Program’s Los Angeles office, where she conducts research, advocacy, and education on reproductive and sexual health access and services. Her California-specific work includes insurance coverage for contraception and pregnancy, expanding access to family planning and abortion services, and opposing religious restrictions on reproductive health care. Her national work includes leading the National Health Law Program’s efforts around improving maternal health and addressing systemic barriers to comprehensive pregnancy care. She also leads the National Health Law Program’s Doula Medicaid Project, which advocates for expanding access to full-spectrum doula care for Medicaid enrollees.

Fabiola Carrión

Fabiola Carrión

Fabiola is a senior attorney at the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), an organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the health rights of low-income individuals. Based in Los Angeles, Fabiolaworks to expand access to reproductive health care services in public and private health insurance programs across the country. Before joining NHeLP, Fabiola was an Advocacy Program Officer at Planned Parenthood Global, where she designed, developed, and oversaw projects on sexual and reproductive rights in Latin America. She also served as the Director of Government Relations at Planned Parenthood of New York City and as a Policy Advisor for a network of progressive state legislators and state-based advocates from across the United States. Fabiola began her legal career as a law clerk for Judge Joseph Maltese in New York’s Supreme Court and worked for various national and international human rights organizations before and during law school.

Cynthia Gutierrez

Cynthia Gutierrez

Cynthia Gutierrez (she/her/ella) is an award-winning first-generation Nicaraguan Salvadoran reproductive justice organizer, birth worker, and cultural strategist. Cynthia is passionate about the intersection of reproductive justice, race, and documenting the ways women of color have resisted and healed from harm done towards their reproductive autonomy. She has over a decade of social justice community work experience within the Bay Area. She is currently the Program Manager for the University of California, San Francisco HIVE and Team Lily programs. She is on the Board of Directors for ACCESS Women's Health Justice and the California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom.