Where We Live: A Post-Roe World

How are the deep racial disparities in reproductive health care being addressed in light of Roe v. Wade’s overturning? Connecticut nurse-midwife, nurse educator and historian Dr. Lucinda Canty recently launched Lucinda's House, to help local women of color "become an active part in eliminating structural barriers to improve their overall health and well-being." This hour, we hear from Dr. Canty about this new effort, as well as her research on maternal morbidity. Her 2020 doctoral thesis...

In light of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion, some companies are announcing their commitment to cover abortion care and travel costs for employees. But what other changes can we expect? Mike Golden, a corporate law expert, says we could start to see employers covering the cost of abortion care and provide childcare benefits as a competitive talent acquisition tool. Today, we explore the ways our workforce will change in coming years, and consider how companies will have to...

A shortage of reproductive health professionals has resulted in wait times for some services in our state, including in-clinic abortions. Connecticut's "safe harbor" law expands the scope of care for advanced-practice clinicians to include procedural abortions, and is expected to lessen what is now up to a two-week wait. These clinicians are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), clinical-nurse midwives (CNMs) and physician's assistants (PAs). CNM and CEO and President of Planned...

In light of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion, period tracking apps have been a new target of concern. But legal experts like Nora Benavidez say digital safety and the potential for "digital dragnets" are a broader concern "decades in the making." This hour, we hear about the ways digital privacy is at risk, and how personal data can be weaponized to prosecute people seeking abortions. Prior to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Electronic Frontier Foundation provided tips for...

With the overturn of Roe v Wade, how will OBGYNs have to change the way they provide for patients? This hour on Where We Live, we host a roundtable of OB-GYNs, and hear what their expectations and fears are about providing care in a post-Roe world. We hear from Dr. Amanda Kallen, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale School of Medicine, specializing in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. She is joined by Dr. Kate Pascucci, a physician specializing in obstetrics...

With Roe v Wade overturned, and abortion becoming less available, will we see more children placed in foster care and parents seeking adoption? Today on Where We Live, we speak with experts and learn whether or not we should expect to see an increase in adoption. We hear from Connecticut Department of Children and Family Services Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes. Later, we hear from Doris Houston, Director of the Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies at Illinois State...

Mental illness, especially among children, is hard to identify. Today, we preview a new Ken Burns documentary--Hiding In Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness. We talk with film director Erik Ewers, and Connecticut resident, Yanarry Acevedo, who’s featured in the film. This documentary speaks directly to the children impacted by mental illness, and how trauma has shaped their worldview and influenced their well being. First, we talk about the US Supreme Court’s ruling reversing Roe V. Wade -...

Connecticut lawmakers passed legislation strengthening reproductive rights, making the state a “place of refuge” for people seeking abortions. This hour on Where We Live, we talk about this measure – which has become more important in light of the leaked Supreme Court documents — indicating a decision to overturn Roe. V. Wade. The Guttmacher Institute reports that nine states have enacted a total of 33 abortion restrictions as of April 15. More states are writing restrictions into law....