I had the AFP blood test in 1995 while pregnant with my first baby. I was 26 and the results said my chances of having a baby with Downs' were the same as for a 39-year old woman. Those chances are still low, but I was freaked out and they rushed me in for an ultrasound to confirm my dates. The AFP is more likely to be accurate if you are exactly 16 weeks pregnant. I had the ultrasound and they said my dates were correct and recommended an amnio. I got the amnio the next day and had to wait 10 days for the results. I was a basket case that entire time and we didn't tell anybody because we weren't sure what we would do if the results weren't what we were hoping for. Well, maybe we knew what we'd do and that was why we didn't want people to know. I didn't know that the AFP test could be unreliable, but the amnio is 100% reliable. We found out our baby did not have Downs' and that she was a she. The ultrasound tech said it looked like a boy. With my third pregnancy at age 35, the AFP results were again off. I had an ultrasound and the technology with ultrasounds had changed enough that they could examine several parts of the baby to look for signs of Downs' and they didn't find any and we also talked to a genetic counselor and decided not to have the amnio even though I was older. He did not have Downs'. Shouldn't giving inaccurate information about tests be considered malpractice? Also, referring a woman with a baby that won't live to an anti-abortion counselor is just cruel.
My initial prenatal screen came back concerning so my high risk OBGYN physician (Maternal Fetal Medicine aka MFM) recommended an amniocentesis. Found out I'm a carrier for a fatal neurological disease but husband is not so fetus was not affected. Those 3 weeks waiting for results, when we knew it could end in termination, were some of the most isolating for us. My mother, who worked at a CPC (which hurts my soul as a Family Medicine physician), called us repeatedly to tell us our "baby was precious, regardless of the results" and "wouldn't you rather give up your life for your child, __, than give up your child's life?"
I ended up very ill and had to deliver in an emergency at 28 weeks. The OBGYN asked me who to save, if it came to that, and without hesitation my husband yelled "save my wife" so that she understood and everyone in the room heard it.
Both of us survived, barely.
I love our child but, if those amnio results had been positive, we would've left Texas and come back after. I am lucky to know doctors that would've gotten me in as fast as possible.
It's hard being the only pro-choice people in your family and even harder when you're a physician who provides these much needed services in a state that hates women.
Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Foreign subversion and Sovereignty, Rule of Law, Rights and Justice, Corruption... God wants Democrats to fight for their country.
NY-03 Souzzi election gives me hope. In his speech he said 'combating Putin,' talked freely about the dysfunction in Congress as 'running around for trump' - name names, identify the people - and exposed the immigration bill fiasco for what it is blaming the Rs and the volunteer numbers he rattled off were very impressive. In red states, if all the horror stuff JV writes here about abortion are clearly conveyed to the voters in plain speak, I would expect similar enthusiasm and participation. MAGAs in office are failures and can't govern; pro-life people are not Christians at all; they may lie, contort, and distort but we see them for what they are and we will beat them. The wealthiest and most powerful country in the world did not become that without rationality and science/technology, none of which is understood by the pseudo-Christians. They didn't build this country and they won't be allowed to destroy it either.
I always say knowledge is power, because it is. But living in Southwest Louisiana, having extremists representing me in every facet of governance, sometimes knowledge is depressing.
Because I also know, no matter how many people contact these representatives and senators, they will ignore us and continue their extreme legislation.
I also know that no matter how many protests and events we have or how much support is shown, our media will not give us a fair voice.
We have been silenced in every way.
And although it’s depressing, and sometimes feels insurmountable, we will continue to fight for our rights!
I truly appreciate the work you do to keep your finger on the pulse of these attacks, Jessica. Thank you for all that you do to keep us informed and aware.
My dad, a Christian, only ever said one thing on the subject of abortion: “Where would Jesus be in an abortion situation? I believe he’d be holding the woman’s hand and making her a cup of tea afterwards.”
I know you usually say the cruelty is the point, but I’m not entirely convinced they believe they’re being cruel at all. And frankly, I don’t know which is worse: them advocating for laws they KNOW but don’t care will hurt women and girls, or them disregarding women and girls entirely when writing and passing anti abortion laws because they believe with their full chest that they’re “saving babies”.
Yes it's catchy but it's a bit misleading. The point is to follow what they believe is their religion, "God"s commands, which just happen to also be cruel and misogynistic. So really it's more that the cruelty is beside the point. It's a bigger problem with Christian Nationalists having effective control of the Republican party. Andra Watkins writes a substack on Project 2025, the conservative blueprint if they win the election, and it's basically that they will approach every other issue the same way they have abortion. Complete nightmare that not enough people seem to grasp yet.
Here, in florida they just pass whatever shit they want. When we do get to vote on things like reenfranchising felons to vote, they just change the laws.
If Republicans and self-styled pro-life folks would use all their resources to tackle poverty and homelessness like they do to go after women and their physicians making informed decisions about health care, this country and its people would be so much healthier and safer.
Just taking a step back to see what is going on. What we need to do to understand the "pro-life" people is accept that they genuinely believe that any fetus (or even any fertilized egg) is a human life. Under that assumption, terminating the pregnancy is murder. If you really believe it is murder, then you want to do everything possible to prevent the "murder", right? I think it comes from religious belief, and there is certainly an element of control of women involved, but ultimately it comes down to something that they feel they cannot compromise on. If we understand this motivation, then everything that the pro-life people are doing is not surprising and even totally predictable, including lying, because I suppose if someone is about to murder someone, lying to them is ok if it gets them to stop. Strangely enough I am dealing with another aspect of this "pro-life" attitude in pending legislation in Maryland. As a cancer patient, I want options to manage my death when my treatment options run out. The Catholic church thinks that this is "suicide" and opposes it, and there really is no argument to sway them. Once they call it suicide, it is the end of the story for them. For me, suicide is a mischaracterization and I would rather think that this involves managing the modality of my death, rather than wanting to kill myself, but they are unpersuadable. It is the same thing as with abortion rights. Bottom line is these people are extremists, they will not compromise or stop at a half-way point. They want to impose their religious beliefs on others. Fortunately, these folks represent a minority. Not a small one, but definitely a minority. Nationwide, maybe 30% or less.
I hear you because I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the ethics of abortion, but I would push back on the idea that they actually believe it’s murder because then why don’t they treat IVF the same way? Why aren’t they protesting Ivf clinics that discard millions of fertilized eggs—babies, according to them. They’re ignoring that Murder also requires malice and is decided on a case by case basis based on circumstances and context —all homicides aren’t automatically declared murder. That would be ludicrous. They’d have to prove a woman sought an abortion with malicious aforethought such as the desire to harm a fetus. Murder isn’t just about killing. And if they believe every fertilized egg is a child, Why aren’t they focusing on preventing miscarriages? Or punishing women who continue to try to conceive despite having had multiple miscarriages before. After all, if I kept putting my children in a hostile environment and they kept dying I’d be accused of gross negligence at best. Yes miscarriages are natural but we’ve poured in tons of money to study and cure plenty of diseases, which are also natural, because we feel it is important to help the people impacted by such illnesses. The same focus can be paid to solving miscarriages, if one truly believed those were people unnecessarily dying of preventable causes. Even if they do believe it’s a child being murdered, that’s also a mischaracterization because if anything, abortion is more akin to self defense or justified homicide. And they might realize that if they actually thought about it for two minutes. In what other context would I have to allow someone to remain inside my body against my will? There’s none but they’re trying to create an exception for fetuses. In what other context would I have to allow even my own child to maim or threaten my life without fighting back? Even parents have a right to defend themselves against their children if their children attacked or otherwise harmed them. Yes in most cases you wouldn’t need to kill your child to get away from them but such is the unique nature of pregnancy. It’s unlike anything else. Normally you’d have a duty to retreat rather than use lethal force against someone, but the only way to retreat from a fetus IS to abort.
I especially like the last argument because it doesn't get defeated by fetal personhood. They are absolutely trying to create an exception for fetuses. We think they'd then have to pivot to a parental responsibility argument instead, in which case the question becomes what constitutes consent to parenthood? It can't be "god's will" or the birth control failed or you were raped. The only way any of their arguments ever work is by making the woman legally invisible.
No, they really don't believe that, they use it as an excuse. How do I know this? I worked in a reproductive healthcare clinic and you would get them as well over the years. And it is not scientifically provable anyway. It's weird superstition, which should have no place in law, in a secular country. They are not "pro-life" as most believe in capital punishment, and starving those same babies, once they force poor women to birth them (rich women will never have that problem).
You assume good faith where this is none. (probably because you are a good person.)
I wish you luck, and and a dignified choice on your health.
Of course they will outlaw prenatal testing because they define life as “from conception to natural death” repeatedly in Project 2025. This is a given. They will outlaw abortion from conception. They will not allow for exceptions. They will not compromise. They will force all American women to give birth when pregnant. Period.
In any cult, you want to show your “God” your complete obedience, so that said God will protect your group in times of crisis. And you want to produce as many babies as possible to enlarge that group.
I opted for non-invasive prenatal testing ("NIPT") during both my pregnancies and found it to be an emotional rollercoaster. The results were all in the non-concerning ranges, but the waiting and wondering was so stressful.
Adding an arbitrary deadline on top of that just feels so malicious.
Yesterday I noticed an empty Plan B test package on the sidewalk. It made me smile. I am not sure if someone might have been afraid of their family seeing it, or if they were simply a litterbug. I'm just glad that it's still an obtainable option.
Because they want to force births, (They have this weird fetish about women being only good for being "birthing vessels") also because if a woman can control her fertility, she doesn't need a man, and can have a good paying career, go to college, etc. Patriarchal religion doesn't want us to be equals. They see us as less than. Forcing us to carry every and any pregnancy to term impovrishes us, and keeps us down. Just like it did before "Roe"
God doesn’t make mistakes, Catie. Ask any fundamentalist Christian. They’ll follow up with, “We have to suffer on earth to reap the rewards of Heaven.” Rape and incest happen, but the miracle of birth is worth the trauma — this is sarcasm, by the way. Also truth.
Yeah, the martyrdom cult they want to make out of motherhood is both terrifying and fundamental to their thinking. (My best friend since childhood married one of these asshats, and he's pushing for a 6th child when she developed gestational diabetes with the 5th, so another pregnancy would most likely leave her permanently diabetic.) I highly recommend "The Other Christs" and "The Myth of Persecution" by Candida Moss if you want some fascinating, and terrifying, details on how and why Christianity became so obsessed with misery.
Because there is a tiny chance that it's a false positive - it's technically true that no test is perfect. So they'll force a thousand folks to carry a doomed pregnancy to term to prevent termination of the one false positive in that 99.9% accurate text.
I had the AFP blood test in 1995 while pregnant with my first baby. I was 26 and the results said my chances of having a baby with Downs' were the same as for a 39-year old woman. Those chances are still low, but I was freaked out and they rushed me in for an ultrasound to confirm my dates. The AFP is more likely to be accurate if you are exactly 16 weeks pregnant. I had the ultrasound and they said my dates were correct and recommended an amnio. I got the amnio the next day and had to wait 10 days for the results. I was a basket case that entire time and we didn't tell anybody because we weren't sure what we would do if the results weren't what we were hoping for. Well, maybe we knew what we'd do and that was why we didn't want people to know. I didn't know that the AFP test could be unreliable, but the amnio is 100% reliable. We found out our baby did not have Downs' and that she was a she. The ultrasound tech said it looked like a boy. With my third pregnancy at age 35, the AFP results were again off. I had an ultrasound and the technology with ultrasounds had changed enough that they could examine several parts of the baby to look for signs of Downs' and they didn't find any and we also talked to a genetic counselor and decided not to have the amnio even though I was older. He did not have Downs'. Shouldn't giving inaccurate information about tests be considered malpractice? Also, referring a woman with a baby that won't live to an anti-abortion counselor is just cruel.
My initial prenatal screen came back concerning so my high risk OBGYN physician (Maternal Fetal Medicine aka MFM) recommended an amniocentesis. Found out I'm a carrier for a fatal neurological disease but husband is not so fetus was not affected. Those 3 weeks waiting for results, when we knew it could end in termination, were some of the most isolating for us. My mother, who worked at a CPC (which hurts my soul as a Family Medicine physician), called us repeatedly to tell us our "baby was precious, regardless of the results" and "wouldn't you rather give up your life for your child, __, than give up your child's life?"
I ended up very ill and had to deliver in an emergency at 28 weeks. The OBGYN asked me who to save, if it came to that, and without hesitation my husband yelled "save my wife" so that she understood and everyone in the room heard it.
Both of us survived, barely.
I love our child but, if those amnio results had been positive, we would've left Texas and come back after. I am lucky to know doctors that would've gotten me in as fast as possible.
It's hard being the only pro-choice people in your family and even harder when you're a physician who provides these much needed services in a state that hates women.
Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Foreign subversion and Sovereignty, Rule of Law, Rights and Justice, Corruption... God wants Democrats to fight for their country.
{Disclaimer: I am an atheist}
NY-03 Souzzi election gives me hope. In his speech he said 'combating Putin,' talked freely about the dysfunction in Congress as 'running around for trump' - name names, identify the people - and exposed the immigration bill fiasco for what it is blaming the Rs and the volunteer numbers he rattled off were very impressive. In red states, if all the horror stuff JV writes here about abortion are clearly conveyed to the voters in plain speak, I would expect similar enthusiasm and participation. MAGAs in office are failures and can't govern; pro-life people are not Christians at all; they may lie, contort, and distort but we see them for what they are and we will beat them. The wealthiest and most powerful country in the world did not become that without rationality and science/technology, none of which is understood by the pseudo-Christians. They didn't build this country and they won't be allowed to destroy it either.
I always say knowledge is power, because it is. But living in Southwest Louisiana, having extremists representing me in every facet of governance, sometimes knowledge is depressing.
Because I also know, no matter how many people contact these representatives and senators, they will ignore us and continue their extreme legislation.
I also know that no matter how many protests and events we have or how much support is shown, our media will not give us a fair voice.
We have been silenced in every way.
And although it’s depressing, and sometimes feels insurmountable, we will continue to fight for our rights!
I truly appreciate the work you do to keep your finger on the pulse of these attacks, Jessica. Thank you for all that you do to keep us informed and aware.
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My dad, a Christian, only ever said one thing on the subject of abortion: “Where would Jesus be in an abortion situation? I believe he’d be holding the woman’s hand and making her a cup of tea afterwards.”
Felt like wisdom to me.
The GOP has a death wish—politically for themselves and physically for everyone else.
I know you usually say the cruelty is the point, but I’m not entirely convinced they believe they’re being cruel at all. And frankly, I don’t know which is worse: them advocating for laws they KNOW but don’t care will hurt women and girls, or them disregarding women and girls entirely when writing and passing anti abortion laws because they believe with their full chest that they’re “saving babies”.
Yes it's catchy but it's a bit misleading. The point is to follow what they believe is their religion, "God"s commands, which just happen to also be cruel and misogynistic. So really it's more that the cruelty is beside the point. It's a bigger problem with Christian Nationalists having effective control of the Republican party. Andra Watkins writes a substack on Project 2025, the conservative blueprint if they win the election, and it's basically that they will approach every other issue the same way they have abortion. Complete nightmare that not enough people seem to grasp yet.
Here, in florida they just pass whatever shit they want. When we do get to vote on things like reenfranchising felons to vote, they just change the laws.
If Republicans and self-styled pro-life folks would use all their resources to tackle poverty and homelessness like they do to go after women and their physicians making informed decisions about health care, this country and its people would be so much healthier and safer.
Absolutely agree.
We totally saw this coming. Effers.
Just taking a step back to see what is going on. What we need to do to understand the "pro-life" people is accept that they genuinely believe that any fetus (or even any fertilized egg) is a human life. Under that assumption, terminating the pregnancy is murder. If you really believe it is murder, then you want to do everything possible to prevent the "murder", right? I think it comes from religious belief, and there is certainly an element of control of women involved, but ultimately it comes down to something that they feel they cannot compromise on. If we understand this motivation, then everything that the pro-life people are doing is not surprising and even totally predictable, including lying, because I suppose if someone is about to murder someone, lying to them is ok if it gets them to stop. Strangely enough I am dealing with another aspect of this "pro-life" attitude in pending legislation in Maryland. As a cancer patient, I want options to manage my death when my treatment options run out. The Catholic church thinks that this is "suicide" and opposes it, and there really is no argument to sway them. Once they call it suicide, it is the end of the story for them. For me, suicide is a mischaracterization and I would rather think that this involves managing the modality of my death, rather than wanting to kill myself, but they are unpersuadable. It is the same thing as with abortion rights. Bottom line is these people are extremists, they will not compromise or stop at a half-way point. They want to impose their religious beliefs on others. Fortunately, these folks represent a minority. Not a small one, but definitely a minority. Nationwide, maybe 30% or less.
I hear you because I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the ethics of abortion, but I would push back on the idea that they actually believe it’s murder because then why don’t they treat IVF the same way? Why aren’t they protesting Ivf clinics that discard millions of fertilized eggs—babies, according to them. They’re ignoring that Murder also requires malice and is decided on a case by case basis based on circumstances and context —all homicides aren’t automatically declared murder. That would be ludicrous. They’d have to prove a woman sought an abortion with malicious aforethought such as the desire to harm a fetus. Murder isn’t just about killing. And if they believe every fertilized egg is a child, Why aren’t they focusing on preventing miscarriages? Or punishing women who continue to try to conceive despite having had multiple miscarriages before. After all, if I kept putting my children in a hostile environment and they kept dying I’d be accused of gross negligence at best. Yes miscarriages are natural but we’ve poured in tons of money to study and cure plenty of diseases, which are also natural, because we feel it is important to help the people impacted by such illnesses. The same focus can be paid to solving miscarriages, if one truly believed those were people unnecessarily dying of preventable causes. Even if they do believe it’s a child being murdered, that’s also a mischaracterization because if anything, abortion is more akin to self defense or justified homicide. And they might realize that if they actually thought about it for two minutes. In what other context would I have to allow someone to remain inside my body against my will? There’s none but they’re trying to create an exception for fetuses. In what other context would I have to allow even my own child to maim or threaten my life without fighting back? Even parents have a right to defend themselves against their children if their children attacked or otherwise harmed them. Yes in most cases you wouldn’t need to kill your child to get away from them but such is the unique nature of pregnancy. It’s unlike anything else. Normally you’d have a duty to retreat rather than use lethal force against someone, but the only way to retreat from a fetus IS to abort.
I especially like the last argument because it doesn't get defeated by fetal personhood. They are absolutely trying to create an exception for fetuses. We think they'd then have to pivot to a parental responsibility argument instead, in which case the question becomes what constitutes consent to parenthood? It can't be "god's will" or the birth control failed or you were raped. The only way any of their arguments ever work is by making the woman legally invisible.
Yes! Ive been saying this for a while: pro life arguments only work, if they work at all, if they erase the crucial role of the woman during pregnancy
Vermont allows people to control their deaths. You don't have to be a resident.
https://apnews.com/article/assisted-suicide-vermont-residency-requirement-10ce4f29063f5bbb1873583f9aa89947
I wish you peace.
Thanks. We are working to get a similar law enacted in Maryland.
No, they really don't believe that, they use it as an excuse. How do I know this? I worked in a reproductive healthcare clinic and you would get them as well over the years. And it is not scientifically provable anyway. It's weird superstition, which should have no place in law, in a secular country. They are not "pro-life" as most believe in capital punishment, and starving those same babies, once they force poor women to birth them (rich women will never have that problem).
You assume good faith where this is none. (probably because you are a good person.)
I wish you luck, and and a dignified choice on your health.
Of course they will outlaw prenatal testing because they define life as “from conception to natural death” repeatedly in Project 2025. This is a given. They will outlaw abortion from conception. They will not allow for exceptions. They will not compromise. They will force all American women to give birth when pregnant. Period.
In any cult, you want to show your “God” your complete obedience, so that said God will protect your group in times of crisis. And you want to produce as many babies as possible to enlarge that group.
Well they can’t create a perfect duty out of an imperfect process so good luck with that, I’d say.
I opted for non-invasive prenatal testing ("NIPT") during both my pregnancies and found it to be an emotional rollercoaster. The results were all in the non-concerning ranges, but the waiting and wondering was so stressful.
Adding an arbitrary deadline on top of that just feels so malicious.
Yesterday I noticed an empty Plan B test package on the sidewalk. It made me smile. I am not sure if someone might have been afraid of their family seeing it, or if they were simply a litterbug. I'm just glad that it's still an obtainable option.
I just truly don't understand the point of forcing women to carry unviable fetuses. Like, why????
Because they want to force births, (They have this weird fetish about women being only good for being "birthing vessels") also because if a woman can control her fertility, she doesn't need a man, and can have a good paying career, go to college, etc. Patriarchal religion doesn't want us to be equals. They see us as less than. Forcing us to carry every and any pregnancy to term impovrishes us, and keeps us down. Just like it did before "Roe"
God doesn’t make mistakes, Catie. Ask any fundamentalist Christian. They’ll follow up with, “We have to suffer on earth to reap the rewards of Heaven.” Rape and incest happen, but the miracle of birth is worth the trauma — this is sarcasm, by the way. Also truth.
Yeah, the martyrdom cult they want to make out of motherhood is both terrifying and fundamental to their thinking. (My best friend since childhood married one of these asshats, and he's pushing for a 6th child when she developed gestational diabetes with the 5th, so another pregnancy would most likely leave her permanently diabetic.) I highly recommend "The Other Christs" and "The Myth of Persecution" by Candida Moss if you want some fascinating, and terrifying, details on how and why Christianity became so obsessed with misery.
Because there is a tiny chance that it's a false positive - it's technically true that no test is perfect. So they'll force a thousand folks to carry a doomed pregnancy to term to prevent termination of the one false positive in that 99.9% accurate text.
*test