Legal threats to abortion pill access fuel false safety claims
Plus, social media users highlighted how ICE arrests are impacting maternal health.
Plus, social media users highlighted how ICE arrests are impacting maternal health.
Last week, articles about legal threats to abortion pill access sparked a wave of false claims that abortion pills are unsafe. Meanwhile, social media users highlighted how Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Minneapolis is impacting maternal health and called attention to medical emergencies among pregnant people in detention centers, prompting discussion about unassisted home births and the signs of miscarriage. Other posts debated human papillomavirus vaccine safety during Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in January.
Given these discussions, communicators may recirculate information about abortion pills, outline the signs of medical emergencies during pregnancy, and encourage HPV vaccination.
Insights brought to you by the reporters and science writers of Public Good News (PGN), a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to improving community health.
What’s trending nationally in conversations about reproductive health:
Recent articles discussed abortion pill access. On January 27, the Trump administration ended a mandate requiring pharmacies that receive federal funding to carry and dispense mifepristone and misoprostol, drugs used in medication abortion. The same day, the Indiana Senate passed legislation that would allow Indiana residents to sue others in the state whom they believe have manufactured, distributed, mailed, prescribed, or possessed abortion pills. Indiana already bans abortion, including medication abortion, with few exceptions. Some groups—including pregnant people and Indiana health care providers—would be exempt from this type of civil liability. However, Indiana residents could sue out-of-state health care providers who prescribe abortion pills via telehealth. Many social media users discussing these news stories falsely claimed that abortion pills are unsafe and equated all forms of abortion with murder. Others advocated for access to abortion pills and correctly stated that medication abortion is safer than childbirth. Some also pointed out that the same medications used in abortion also treat potentially life-threatening health emergencies like miscarriage and postpartum hemorrhage.
Several recent articles and posts discussed how ICE activity in Minneapolis is impacting maternal health and highlighted medical emergencies among pregnant people in ICE custody. On January 20, an Associated Press article quoted Minneapolis doctors who said that pregnant people are missing prenatal appointments or attempting to give birth unassisted at home due to fears of encountering ICE in hospitals. Other articles discussed pregnant people being denied medical care in immigration detention centers when experiencing bleeding and cramping. Social media users discussing the articles expressed alarm and sadness for pregnant people in Minneapolis and in detention centers across the country. Many warned against unassisted home births, noting that health care providers can make birth safer for pregnant people and their babies, and highlighted the signs of miscarriage and other maternal health emergencies.
During the last week of January—Cervical Cancer Awareness Month—social media users across platforms discussed the HPV vaccine. Several posts promoted HPV vaccination to prevent cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers. While many commenters echoed the benefits of HPV vaccination, others falsely claimed that the vaccine is “poison” and encourages promiscuity. Other posts shared a January blog published by an anti-vaccine group claiming without evidence that the CDC will reassess the benefits and risks of HPV vaccination. Commenters called for the HPV vaccine to be banned and falsely claimed that it’s linked to long-term health problems and death.
Recommendations brought to you by the health communication experts behind Infodemiology.com.
Recommendations for public health professionals
The Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. These helpful tips can be used when creating content, updating web and FAQ pages, and developing strategy for messaging about reproductive health.
In response to false claims about abortion pills, communicators may emphasize that medication abortion accounts for nearly two-thirds of abortions in the U.S. and that the risk of major complications from abortion pills is less than 1 percent. Communicators may also want to recirculate resources like AbortionFinder.org, which helps people find reputable abortion providers; Plan C, which offers information about accessing abortion pills in every state; the Repro Legal Helpline, which connects people with lawyers who can answer questions about abortion, miscarriage, and birth; and the National Network of Abortion Funds, which helps people pay for an abortion and associated costs, including travel.
As immigration enforcement activity continues, community members in impacted areas may be wondering about how to safely access prenatal and reproductive health care. Conversations about home births and miscarriage provide an opportunity to circulate information about creating a safe home birth plan, the signs of miscarriage, and other maternal health warning signs. Additional messaging may share information about at-home and virtual health services for pregnant people, as well as any local mutual aid groups that deliver prenatal vitamins, infant formula, and other necessities to pregnant and breastfeeding people and their families.
Posts promoting HPV vaccination are frequently met with false claims about vaccine safety and concerns about the recommended age of vaccination. In response, communicators may explain that HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can cause several types of cancer, including cervical, anal, and throat cancers. Messaging may emphasize that most people will be exposed to HPV in their life and that the HPV vaccine helps protect against common cancer-causing strains. Research shows that HPV vaccination doesn’t cause people to have sex at younger ages or increase sexual activity. Communicators may stress that like all vaccines, the HPV vaccine was rigorously tested before becoming available and that it has been safely administered for nearly two decades around the world. As conversation about recommended vaccine schedules persists, messaging may highlight that the American Academy of Pediatrics continues to recommend the HPV vaccine series for all adolescents starting between ages 9 and 12, but anyone between the ages of 9 and 45 can receive it.