New research from the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice shows that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has devastated Latinas the most among people of color. In fact, nearly 6.5 million Latinas—42% of all Latinas ages 15-49—living in the 26 states that have banned or are likely to ban abortion. Elizabeth Estrada, New York Field and Advocacy Manger for NLIRJ, sits down with us to talk about what abortion access looked like for Latinas, immigrant communities, young people, and those in rural areas before and after the fall of Roe. 

Before the Dobbs decision even came down, abortion was not inherently accessible for Latinas in the U.S. In April of 2022, Lizelle Herrera, a woman in the Rio Grande Valley, experienced criminalization and incarceration for a self-managed abortion. Additionally, Texas’s six-week abortion ban, S.B. 8, has been hugely restrictive for many in the American southwest. These extremes have been a reality for marginalized communities already facing barriers to care long before Roe v. Wade was overturned. 

With the Dobbs decision now in effect, many states do not offer abortion care, forcing people to travel out-of-state if they can find an appointment. States, in response, are seeking to criminalize that travel. For those who are undocumented or are perhaps living in border towns in the United States, there are already a host of challenges getting to a clinic in one’s own state, let alone traveling far and wide within the country. Already facing increased surveillance, the presence of police and border control can often result in reproductive healthcare access being unrealized.

Despite abortion being a widely popular issue among Latinx people, there is, unfortunately, a mass of mis- and disinformation targeted at the community. Content on social media sites can be targeted based on demographics in an effort to intentionally mislead people, often into using crisis pregnancy centers—brick-and-mortar organizations that frame themselves as medical providers but actually do not offer abortion care, instead often coercing and shaming patients into keeping pregnancies. That’s why it’s important to talk openly with our loved ones, share personal stories that dispel myths (if you feel comfortable and safe), become involved in grassroots work, and lobby our elected officials. 

Links

National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice on Twitter

National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice on Facebook

Impact of Roe Overturning on Latinas from NLIRJ and National Partnership for Women and Families 

More information on the HEAL for Immigrant Families Act

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