NIRH Decries Oklahoma Abortion Ban, Most Draconian in Nation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2022
Contact: Kelly Novak, [email protected]

NEW YORK – The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) decries Oklahoma’s latest abortion ban, which bans almost all abortions entirely from the point of fertilization and includes vigilante-style enforcement.

The bill subjects abortion providers and anyone who “aids or abets” a person seeking an abortion to civil suits from private individuals. If signed by Governor Kevin Stitt, the law will take effect immediately.

“Oklahoma has passed multiple abortion bans in the past few months, clearly showcasing the deep antipathy some lawmakers and the governor have toward abortion, abortion providers, and all people in need of abortion access,” said Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health. “All abortion bans are dangerous; an abortion ban that begins even before someone is medically considered pregnant is a special kind of absurd.”

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The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) is an advocacy group that works directly with state and local reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations and allied groups to protect and advance access to reproductive healthcare. For more than 40 years, NIRH has been partnering with communities to build coalitions, launch campaigns, and successfully advocate for policy change. NIRH’s strategy is to go on the offensive and focus on communities where change is needed, so the fabric of reproductive freedom becomes harder to tear apart.