By Jennifer Weitz-Wolf for Ms. Magazine.
Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Georgia News Connection reporting for the Ms. Magazine-Public News Service Collaboration

With Sen. Raphael Warnock's reelection in Georgia, any lingering conservative hopes for a red wave have been dashed. The 2022 midterms have made clear that abortion rights loom large for voters despite pundits' misplaced predictions of a singularly inflation-obsessed electorate. In the end, the inflation-fueled red wave, the Internet joked, was more akin to "mid-cycle spotting."

It isn't surprising that period humor was the go-to response. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe. v. Wade last summer, the national discourse has been more frank than ever about the bloodiest of bodily functions.

To start, we've had to correct politicians' plain ignorance about menstrual cycles, including comments made by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who initially misstated that S.B.8's six-week ban on abortion "provides at least six weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion." (It does not. As commentators reminded the governor, a person is at least four weeks pregnant upon a first missed period, meaning they have two weeks at best to obtain an abortion.)

Since the Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, more and more women have felt compelled to go public with myriad aspects of their own reproductive lives.

Miscarriage, for example, while a common occurrence, has long been something endured privately (for better or for worse). But now there's new urgency to shine light on the experience, and especially to flag the prevalence of abortion as a standard medical intervention for it, as well as for ectopic and unviable pregnancies. Celebrity Chrissy Teigen recently reflected on her 2020 pregnancy loss at 20 weeks: "Let's just call it what it was: It was an abortion. An abortion to save my life for a baby that had absolutely no chance."

Even menopause-among the most taboo of women's health topics-has been subject to public airing. Former First Lady Michelle Obama shared with People magazine her frustration with the lack of systemic support for a normal, inevitable health transition-one that can span the better part of a decade and comes with its own array of debilitating symptoms and challenges.

Perhaps one silver lining of Dobbs has been creating space for women to openly and deliberately trace the arc of their reproductive lives-in public. Back in 2018, a New York Times article entitled "Getting Real About Periods, Childbirth, Menopause and More" underscored the inherent interconnectedness of these milestones and expounded on the myriad ways "women's health issues and biological processes have long been shrouded in secrecy and shame. Who among us hasn't hidden our pad or tampon, lest we appear unattractive or messy? The result: We feel alone, often at a young age, when we are anything but."

Of course, the problem isn't just that we feel alone. We indeed have been left all alone, our bodies overlooked by the law and undermined by the courts. We're left to implore doctors to acknowledge our pain and to provide treatment. To suffer economic detriment or discrimination. To endure isolation and emotional upheaval. And even, quite literally, to fight to save our own lives.

The culture of secrecy and shame that surrounds women's reproductive health begets persistent silence. And, eventually, that silence results in an onslaught of personal harm-a cumulative cascade of inequities that go unaddressed throughout our lives and that amount to a less just, less equal, less humane society. This is the landscape that the Dobbs decision would have us inhabit.

But it doesn't have to be so. We can, and must, draw links to all reproductive markers in order to address the real-and for too long unspoken-health crises that American women face.

We've been heartened to see leaders in the private sector attempting to fill the breach. Corporate coalitions like Don't Ban Equality are not only helping companies include abortion access in their employee benefit programs, but contextualizing abortion within a broader array of reproductive care that includes miscarriage management, assisted fertility treatments, prenatal and postpartum support, contraception, menstrual health and menopause.

Although lawmakers have emphasized the need for legislation like the federal Women's Health Protection Act that would codify abortion rights, our policy goals must be more expansive. Our policymaking must simultaneously prioritize other critical aspects of reproductive health. This means supporting legislation like the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, the Menopause Research Act and the Menstrual Equity For All Act, all of which focus on important-and underserved-aspects of reproductive health. The sum of all of these parts surely would create a stronger whole for women's lives and well-being.

As advocates, scholars and providers now work to reimagine and rebuild what meaningful reproductive care looks like in this country, we have an opportunity to be more holistic in addressing the full continuum of women's reproductive lives. Private sector interventions and public policy solutions must reflect those intersections. Period. Full stop.

Jennifer Weitz-Wolf wrote this article for Ms. Magazine.


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Women in California and across the country earn an average of 82% of what men make in the first 10 years after graduating from college, according to a new study from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Researchers found that a significant portion of this disparity is attributed to where people work - three-quarters of men are employed in the private sector, compared to only half of women.

Mary Gatta is the director of research and public policy at NACE.

"The top industries where men were employed were manufacturing, finance, insurance, real estate, the fire industries, architecture, and engineering," said Gatta. "Women are in education, health care, social assistance, and professional and technical services. So women dominate more in lower-paid industries."

Advocates say school districts should introduce boys and girls to all types of occupations, and in particular, encourage girls to take classes in science, technology, engineering, and math.

California has tried to shrink the pay gap through public policy. Companies in the Golden State are prohibited from inquiring about a candidate's previous salary range during the hiring process.

They are also required to disclose salary ranges in job postings or upon request.

Gatta said colleges should offer robust career counseling to prepare students as they enter the workforce.

"We also need to think about salary negotiation," said Gatta, "and helping remove any concerns that recent college grads might have about negotiating, helping prepare students for salary negotiation."

She added that establishing a higher salary from the get-go pays dividends for many years.

Conversely, the pay gap persists as women progress in their careers, so they contribute less to Social Security and receive lower payments in retirement.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.




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Texas lawmakers passed the Life of the Mother Act during the legislative session. It was billed as legislation to clarify when doctors in the state can legally perform an abortion.

Texas adopted one of the most restrictive abortion bans in 2021. The ban allows the procedure only if the life of the mother is in danger or there is a risk of impairment of a primary bodily function.

Houston-based OB/GYN Dr. Damla Karsan said, despite the "clarification," medical professionals are still hesitant to provide care in most cases.

"It's been frustrating, because I feel restricted in my ability to offer them the full scope of options for their care," said Karsan. "I know it's really had a chilling effect on all my colleagues, and myself as well."

Karsan was involved in two legal challenges to the abortion ban, including the case of Kate Cox.

The Houston mother of two received national attention after traveling to another state to have an abortion after it was determined her third child would not survive.

Backers of the new legislation say it ensures women who have medical emergencies can get an abortion.

It defines "life-threatening" as a condition that's capable of causing death or serious injury. A survey of OB/GYNs in the state shows 60% of those who responded fear legal repercussions.

Karsan said if women need abortion care, there are organizations available to help.

"I direct a lot of people to the National Network of Abortion Funds," said Karsan. "Their website can connect you if you want to donate, if you want to volunteer, but also if you're looking for care. As usual it's the poor, the disenfranchised that are going to suffer the most."

According to the survey, many doctors are leaving the state or going into early retirement because of the abortion ban.




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Fighting for a wide range of people with a skill for compromise, is how Rep. Melissa Hortman, D-Brooklyn Park, is being remembered for following her assassination Saturday.

A civic engagement group said she was a shining example of a woman in politics. Hortman's murder is seen by political observers as a stunning and tragic example of the increasingly violent tone surrounding public office in America. Hortman served as Minnesota House Speaker from 2019 until earlier this year, leading Democrats during power-sharing negotiations with Republicans in an evenly-divided chamber.

Michelle Witte, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Minnesota, said Hortman stayed true to the mission of an elected official.

"Obviously, (a) rise to power but also just being in the community working at all levels, at the local level to engage people in issues that are important to them," Witte recounted.

Witte noted Hortman's willingness to make tough decisions was on display this spring when finalizing a new budget, as she received pushback from her own party during the negotiations. Witte pointed out Minnesota still has gaps in electing women legislators, despite having more female politicians than over half the states in the U.S.

She added Hortman was among the most notable women in politics statewide, with others including Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn.

In 2023, Hortman was credited for spearheading several major policies including paid medical leave, abortion protections, and a universal school meal program. While this year's power-sharing agreement with Republicans did have moments of friction, Witte said Hortman's arrangement with GOP House Speaker Lisa Demuth was symbolic of women succeeding in the world of politics.

"The League of Women Voters, we actually made a card out of the great handshake between Melissa Hortman and Lisa Demuth when they reach their power-sharing agreement," Witte recalled. "I was so proud of that because that is what we really work for at the League, is seeing that working together."

Witte hopes voters pay more attention to those examples of bipartisanship and appreciate elected leaders who go above and beyond to serve the public. She acknowledged the attacks on Minnesota lawmakers may make people feel anxious about taking part in democracy, adding the country needs to promote voter safety and prevent future candidates from being silenced.


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