Nearly 80% of Americans agree that health care decisions should be made by a woman and her doctor, not unqualified lawmakers and judges. A longstanding federal law requires ER doctors to provide necessary treatment to all patients in medical crises. But abortion opponents are fighting to deny emergency abortion care to patients, even when a doctor decides a patient’s health or life is at risk. Political bans should not force pregnant people facing serious complications to suffer or die.
The Supreme Court heard a case on an emergency care ban that could have dire, even fatal, consequences for pregnant people across the country. Yet many people aren’t aware of the case or what it would mean for millions of Americans and their families. As a leading provider of sexual and reproductive health and education, we knew we had to sound the alarm.
Our goal for this exhibition was to educate people about the gravity of the SCOTUS emergency care ban case and create an emotional connection to the case through the power of storytelling. Supporters of Planned Parenthood and reproductive health and rights are primed to demand accountability and protection once we give them accessible information, identify the wrong-doers, and offer ways to fight back.
Already, the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income country in the world — and far too many pregnant people are blocked from getting the safe health care they need and deserve. An emergency care ban would put millions of pregnant people at even greater risk — by refusing to allow doctors to provide lifesaving abortion care when they need it most. The average person is not well versed in reproductive health issues and most would never believe states that ban abortion can legally deny pregnant people emergency medical attention.
Partnering with Physicians for Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) spoke with patients who have experienced grave pregnancy complications as well as emergency care doctors who treat them. They shared their powerful stories, with personal anecdotes about lifesaving emergency abortion care — including details about the horrendous outcomes of delayed care.
The stories were brought to life with the construction of a lifesize, mock emergency waiting room on the lawn of the Idaho state capitol building where participants could sit in the “waiting area” and listen to the chilling voices of patients and providers. By hearing stories directly from the mouths of those who have experienced it, participants felt the raw emotion and connected to the visceral needs of vulnerable ER patients who deserve to be protected and cared for.
Our advocate stories went well beyond Idaho and were also used in animated videos, shared on our social channels and with partners — educating audiences about the crucial importance of defending the lives of pregnant people. Wherever these stories were heard, people were moved to speak out by sharing their own personal stories and contacting their local politicians. Our exhibition was a strategic blend of emotion and information. It alerted supporters to the harrowing life-and-death reality pregnant people will face across the U.S. if the Supreme Court doesn't defend emergency abortion care.
In June, the Supreme Court refused to make a definitive ruling to protect ER care for pregnant patients. The court dismissed the appeal in the case, without ruling on its merits — leaving patients across the country in the lurch, as well as physicians, nurses, and others. The court's inaction meant we needed to continue our education work in other states. We took our exhibit on the road this summer to meet people where they are, including state fairs. We expanded the exhibit to include a call center, encouraging community members to call their U.S. Senators and demand that they support access to sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion.
The “Abortion is Our Right" exhibit is still on tour, but we have successfully reached thousands of people across the country — sharing our patient stories and mobilizing the fight for abortion access. In total nearly 10,000 people have engaged with this tour to date across multiple states, making almost 1,000 calls to lawmakers and garnering local press, with 3.5K viewing on social and digital platforms.
Our exhibit succeeds by demonstrating that bans on abortion are bans on lifesaving health care. Most Americans know or have known a loved one who is trying to start a family; and abortion bans endanger their lives in the event of pregnancy complications. This exhibit focuses on access to health care, bringing new audiences to the abortion rights movement and helping to destigmatize abortion.
At PPFA, we know how to harness the power of storytelling to prompt change. "Abortion is Our Right" is a catalyst for change, leaving an impact on audiences and inspiring action. The exhibit empowers listeners to become agents of change in the fight to control our own bodies.
