Puerto Rico amendment recognizing fetuses as humans fuels controversy
New medical guidance and state bills also led to discussion about when abortions should be performed.
New medical guidance and state bills also led to discussion about when abortions should be performed.
After Puerto Rico amended a law to recognize fetuses as humans, social media users expressed concern about potential abortion restrictions. Meanwhile, commenters responded to the Texas Medical Board’s new guidance on when doctors can perform abortions to save the health or life of a pregnant person and highlighted changing abortion legislation across the country.
In light of these conversations, communicators may recirculate information about abortion laws and reiterate that abortion can be a lifesaving medical procedure.
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What’s trending nationally in conversations about reproductive health:
On February 12, Puerto Rico governor Jenniffer González-Colón signed a bill amending a law to recognize fetuses as human beings. Under the amendment, if someone knowingly kills a pregnant person and the fetus is lost, they can be charged with first-degree murder. Legal experts say the amendment may eventually criminalize abortion, which remains legal in Puerto Rico. Some social media posts responding to the news received millions of views. While some commenters praised the amendment, others expressed concern about potential abortion restrictions.
In early February, the Texas Medical Board released new guidance on when Texas doctors can legally provide abortions. Abortion is banned in Texas, except in cases when a pregnant person’s health or life is at risk. Experts quoted in articles about the guidance said that the full range of potential pregnancy complications is impossible to capture in a brief training. Some doubted that the guidance would meaningfully improve access to emergency medical care for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies. Some social media users responding to the guidance correctly stated that some of the same medications and procedures used in abortion are also used to treat miscarriage complications and ectopic pregnancies. They also expressed concern about how abortion bans can delay lifesaving care. Others falsely claimed that abortion is never necessary to save the life of a pregnant person.
This month, social media users discussed ongoing and stalled state legislation and lawsuits around abortion, including in Iowa, Arizona, and South Dakota. Many commenters expressed support for abortion access, while others argued for a total federal abortion ban. Some suggested that abortion should only be performed under rare, life-threatening circumstances.
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.
Online conversation about abortion legislation provides an opportunity to ensure that all materials outlining local abortion laws are up to date. Communicators may also want to direct people to resources like AbortionFinder.org, which helps people find reputable abortion providers; the Repro Legal Helpline, which connects people with lawyers who can answer questions about abortion, miscarriage, and birth; and Plan C, which offers information about accessing abortion pills.
In response to discussions about medical emergencies and abortion, communicators may explain that the same medications and procedures are used for abortions, incomplete miscarriages, and ectopic pregnancies. Reports have consistently found that abortion bans delay lifesaving care for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies, even in states that have exceptions in cases when the health or life of the pregnant person is in danger. Messaging may note that while some states’ abortion bans specify that treatment for an ectopic pregnancy is not legally considered an abortion, others do not, which may cause confusion.