NIRH Rebukes Florida Passage of 15-week Abortion Ban
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2022
Contact: Kelly Novak, [email protected]
NEW YORK – The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) condemned the Florida legislature’s passage of a 15-week abortion ban today, citing the devastating effects the bill would have on people seeking abortion care. The bill is on its way to Governor DeSantis, who is expected to sign it.
“People seeking abortion care need access in their own community, when they need it, period,” said Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health. “Bans like these are based in anti-abortion politics, not science or medicine. Every person seeking an abortion has their own reasons and should be afforded trust and support, not medically unnecessary barriers – many of which will push abortion entirely out of reach for far too many people.
Abortion bans disproportionately harm already marginalized communities – including Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and low-income communities. Especially as we anticipate the gutting or overturning of Roe v. Wade this summer, elected representatives should be serving their constituents by finding ways to protect and expand access to abortion, not severely limiting or eliminating it all together.”
As anti-abortion politicians in Florida work to deny abortion care, NIRH is especially appreciative of the advocates and legislators with which it partners for tirelessly working against this ban, and to advance reproductive health, rights, and justice across the state.
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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.