The discussion around offering state-funded doulas to low-income pregnant people might be headed back to the Georgia legislature, advocates and lawmakers say. Supportive legislators are planning to introduce a bill that would allow the state’s Medicaid dollars to fund doula services in an effort to reduce maternal deaths in Georgia. The state has among the […]
Reproductive Health
Posted inReproductive Health
Why Georgia’s Maternal Mortality Rates for Black Women Are Alarming Health Advocates
Chanel Stryker-Boykin knows about the challenges facing Black pregnant women in Georgia. The doula working in metro Atlanta says a new report from the Georgia Department of Public Health that 56% of pregnancy-related deaths in the state from 2018 to 2020 were Black women should alarm local leaders and health care providers. “I’m hoping that […]
Posted inReproductive Health
Atlanta Leaders and Local Activists Say More Is Needed to Support Abortion Fund
The Atlanta City Council approved a resolution seeking more support from metro Atlanta counties for abortion services. On Wednesday, the council, led by District 5 representative Lilliana Bakhtiari, urged Atlanta’s executive branch to collaborate with neighboring counties to invest in abortion care. Last year, the council approved donating $300,000 to support ARC-Southeast, an organization providing […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Why Black Doulas Say They Can’t Fix Georgia’s Maternal Mortality Crisis Alone
Nearly 18 years ago, Elysia Douglas’ friend was headed to Crawford Long Hospital (now Emory Midtown) for the birth of her son and asked if she would come along. The friend’s boyfriend wouldn’t be able to show up for the first part of the birth, and she initially just wanted Douglas to sit next to […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Need Help Finding a Black Doula? We Got You.
When it comes to maternal health, Georgia’s reputation as one of the worst places to give birth is well known. According to a Capital B report, since 1994, the state has lost 41 labor and delivery units, including at least six in the metro Atlanta area. Those closures, along with increasing maternal death rates among […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Advocates Launch ‘Abortion Bans Are Racist’ Campaign
A reproductive rights group wants Georgia lawmakers to know that the state’s tough abortion laws disproportionately harmed people of color. Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity — or URGE — a Washington, D.C.-based group that focuses its advocacy on reproductive justice, launched a campaign on Martin Luther King Jr. Day called “Abortion Bans Are Racist.” […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Pregnant Women in Georgia Could Qualify for Welfare. Here’s What We Know.
Expecting mothers in low-income households might get some relief if new legislation is passed. Under House Bill 129, filed on behalf of Gov. Brian Kemp, pregnant women who qualify can apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, also known as welfare. HB 129 is just one part of Kemp’s initiative to solve the state’s maternal […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Emory Midtown’s Labor and Delivery Service Scrutinized After Viral TikTok
When Latasha Gomiller, a southwest Atlanta resident, contacted Emory University Hospital Midtown for her scheduled induction on Aug. 31, she was stunned by the “rude” response she received from the person who answered the phone. With a dismissive tone, the person curtly stated that all the beds were full in the labor and delivery unit. […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Despite Temporary ‘Sigh of Relief,’ State Supreme Court Upholds Abortion Law
The state’s highest court just ruled to keep Georgia’s six-week abortion ban in place, ending a short-lived victory for abortion rights advocates. Last Tuesday, a Fulton County Superior Judge ruled the law, HB481, passed in 2019 unconstitutional since it was passed while Roe v. Wade was still in effect. Robert McBurney, the judge in the […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
City of Atlanta Giving $300,000 to Abortion Fund
In further defiance of the state’s decision to ban abortion after six weeks, the Atlanta City Council approved funding to support a reproductive rights organization. In mid-May, in the wake of the leaked U.S. Supreme Court opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Amplify Georgia Collaborative — which includes SisterSong, the Feminist Women’s Health Center, […]
