Need To Know | November 5, 2021

The Fourteenth Amendment and Abortion Rights; Hope for Working Mothers; OBGYN Refuses Hysterectomy to LGBTQ+ Woman

In Nyssa's weekly 'Need to Know' series, we recap the three most important stories related to reproductive health, sex education, and bodily autonomy.

A Dose of Optimism About Mothers at Work, The New York Times

Journalist Jessica Grouse speaks with Claudia Goldin, the author of a new book, “Career and Family: Women’s Century-Long Journey Toward Equity,” about the economic trendline of working moms and their income as compared to men and working women without children.

The piece details the shifts in income inequity based on industry, sex, and children. “Surprisingly, to me at least, was that the occupational sector with the smallest gender earnings gap Goldin studied was for engineers,” says Grouse. You’ll enjoy this article if you like learning about where the gender pay gap began and where it’s likely heading. 

Woman Claims OBGYN Wouldn't Perform Hysterectomy in Case Her 'Sexual Orientation Changes,’ Newsweek

This week a woman’s tweet went viral after she shared that her OBGYN wouldn’t treat her debilitating period pain on the off chance she divorces her wife, changes her sexual orientation, meets a man, and decides she wants children. On Twitter, more than 35,000 people shared her story.

One person responded, "Yep I was told this too. I already had 3 kids and I was single and they said what if you meet someone who wants kids? I responded we can adopt but why does an imaginary man have more say over my body than I do?" A lot of people had a lot more to say, as you could have probably guessed. 

No, Really, the Right to an Abortion Is Supported by the Text and History of the Constitution, The Atlantic

In a thought-provoking read, David H. Gans, the director of the Human Rights, Civil Rights, & Citizenship program at the Constitutional Accountability Center walks through his understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment and its protection over abortion.

In December, the Supreme Court will hear Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which directly challenges Roe v. Wade. Facing a case that could undo decades of abortion rights in the U.S., Gans makes an argument for protections that existed pre-Roe. If you’re concerned about the future of abortion and want to dig deeper into history, this piece is for you.