ST. PAUL, Minn. – A campaign to educate Minnesotans on state laws surrounding abortion access is part of the 2019 Minnesota State Fair that continues through Labor Day. The campaign by UnRestrict Minnesota follows a recent lawsuit aimed at overturning a slate of Minnesota laws that restrict access to abortion.
Megan Peterson, executive director of the group Gender Justice says Minnesota has a reputation as a leader in social justice and health care, but at the same time maintains what she calls "unnecessary and restrictive laws" in regard to reproduction and abortion rights.
"So we wanted to really take advantage of the opportunity of the State Fair, talking to Minnesotans and really having deep conversations about abortion access and how meaningful it is, especially in this really extreme effort to actually ban abortion," says Peterson.
Peterson says many abortion-access supporters fear that even a small change in state leadership could result in a push for extreme bans on abortion that have occurred in Alabama, Missouri and Georgia. The group has a booth on the fairgrounds to distribute information to interested fairgoers.
The lawsuit claims that a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court decision affirmed an expansive right to abortion in the state, and would be the basis for a constitutional challenge to abortion restrictions. Peterson says most state residents, according to a poll, don't know that restrictions that limit abortion access remain on the books.
"Ninety-six percent of Minnesotans were unaware of any of the laws pertaining to abortion in our state, and in fact most people kind of assumed that we were a state that supported access to abortion," says Peterson.
The state Supreme Court's ruling said regulations, including a waiting period and parental notification requirements, were unconstitutional. Current Minnesota laws require doctors to read a script of medical information to patients; and ban professional physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurse midwives from providing early abortion care.
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A new report sheds light on the state of women's health in Ohio, with growing concerns about maternal care and postpartum mental health.
As September is one of the peak months for births, many new mothers face challenges such as postpartum depression.
Jennifer Winston, health data scientist for U.S. News and World Report, shared insights from the March of Dimes' latest report on maternity care deserts.
"Half of U.S. counties don't have hospitals providing obstetric care and a third don't have a single obstetric clinician," Winston pointed out. "Postpartum depression is a really important part of maternal health care. These closures put a lot of pressure on hospitals, especially in rural areas."
Winston's findings underscored concerns the lack of access to maternal health care services directly affects mental health, particularly for women in rural communities. The gap in care can intensify feelings of isolation and make it harder for new mothers to seek timely help during and after pregnancy.
Experts continue to emphasize the importance of early intervention and comprehensive support for women experiencing postpartum depression.
Dr. Donna O'Shea, OB/GYN and chief medical officer for population health at UnitedHealthcare, stressed the value of both medical and emotional support, encouraging new mothers to reach out if they notice signs of postpartum depression, such as overwhelming sadness, fatigue or feelings of disconnection.
"One in five women experience pregnancy-related mental health conditions," O'Shea noted. "Of women who have postpartum depression, 20% will face suicidal thoughts and even attempt self-harm."
While awareness of postpartum depression continues to grow, O'Shea emphasized improving access to mental health and obstetric care remains a priority. For Ohio mothers, especially those in rural or underserved areas, she said bridging these gaps will be crucial to ensuring their well-being during the postpartum period.
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Oregon is in the upper echelon when it comes to the number of women in higher office.
Four of the five statewide elected positions in the state are held by women, including Tina Kotek in the governor's office. It is a rare achievement.
Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics, said the national average for women in statewide elected offices is about one in three. However, the number of women in the top positions in Oregon is guaranteed to go down in November, with men running for two of the five offices. Walsh acknowledged it is the nature of politics.
"No state can just say, 'Well, we fixed the problem of women's underrepresentation in politics. We don't need to do the work of recruiting and supporting women to run.'" Walsh stressed. "That work is ongoing."
Men will be facing off in Oregon's Secretary of State and Attorney General races in November. But Walsh noted the state has set a high bar elsewhere too. Women hold half of its Congressional seats and women are in a little more than 40% of the seats in the state legislature.
Walsh pointed out women face a number of barriers to office. While they raise comparable amounts of money to men running in comparable races, they are less likely to self-fund their campaigns. She explained women are more dependent on small donors, which can be good because it means more people are investing in the campaign.
"The flip side of that is that the amount of time and energy and work that it takes to raise $1,000 is just exponentially higher and harder for a candidate who is more dependent on those low level dollars or those low dollar donations," Walsh stressed.
Women running for office has become a big storyline this year with Vice President Kamala Harris' run for president. Walsh noted if she wins, it will be a big breakthrough for women, especially women of color.
"The only downside to seeing a woman elected at the very top is that people then think that the problem is solved because we've elected a woman President of the United States," Walsh added. "Complacency will not get us to gender equity across levels of office."
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Following the signing of the Michigan Family Protection Act by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, concerns remain about a potential federal ban on in vitro fertilization. The Act, signed in April, safeguards reproductive services such as surrogacy IVF and abortion. However, Project 2025 could limit access to these services if he wins the presidency in November.
Stephanie Jones of Grand Blanc, a mother who used IVF to conceive and had her daughter via surrogacy after secondary infertility, is a strong advocate of the procedure.
"A ban on IVF would be a ban on critical health care to hundreds of thousands of Americans, and without access to IVF, people would not be able to grow and some start their families. So it would be devastating," she contended.
Jones nearly lost her life due to a rare ectopic pregnancy, and credits an emergency abortion with saving her. Her pre-Roe experience now drives her advocacy for policies that protect IVF and support unrestricted abortion rights.
However, many right-to-life advocates contend that these reproductive services are not only morally wrong but unsafe.
Natalie Dodson, a policy analyst with The Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington D.C., warns that reproductive service providers often downplay the health risks associated with IVF for both mothers and babies.
"In particular, the risk of non-chromosomal birth defects increase by 40%, the risk of autism is two times more likely, stillbirth increases up to 4 times compared to spontaneous conception. Additionally, women who undergo IVF experience increased health risks and poor health outcome," she said.
Dodson claims that scientifically life begins at conception, inside or outside the uterus, and said her main concern is whether embryos created through IVF have the same value as those developing naturally.
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