Centering the marginalized - a review of gestational duration bans and their implications-Centering the marginalized - a review of gestational duration bans and their implications

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar, hosted by the Society of Family Planning and presented by Dr. Jenny Villavicencio and Dr. Colleen McNicholas, centered on gestational duration bans on abortion and their implications, emphasizing the need to center marginalized groups, particularly those seeking later abortion care (generally after 28 weeks). The presenters highlighted challenges in defining "later abortion" and "viability," noting variability in clinical, legal, and geographic interpretations. They stressed that bans based on gestational limits or viability effectively restrict access to abortion and enable state intervention, linking to broader issues of fetal personhood and the criminalization of pregnancy.<br /><br />Data on later abortion is limited and often inaccurate due to underreporting, especially from states providing later care; this lack of data marginalizes those seeking later abortions and hampers effective advocacy. The presenters discussed reasons people seek abortion later, including new pregnancy-related information and systemic barriers like cost and travel restrictions, disproportionately affecting low-income and marginalized communities, especially Black and Brown individuals.<br /><br />They advocated applying anti-oppression frameworks to center the most marginalized abortion seekers, arguing that this approach benefits all by informing inclusive policies. The presentation also illuminated how evolving legal definitions of personhood connected to viability pose significant threats to pregnant people's autonomy through heightened surveillance and criminalization. The speakers called for rigorous data collection, destigmatization, and advocacy to protect equitable access and counter harmful policies linking gestational limits with personhood.

Keywords

gestational duration bans

later abortion care

viability definitions

abortion access restrictions

fetal personhood

criminalization of pregnancy

data underreporting

systemic barriers to abortion

anti-oppression frameworks