As federal protections for reproductive rights are imperiled with the Supreme Court’s pending decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization,  states prepare for the potential downfall of Roe v. Wade. One of the legislative initiatives that has been undertaken by several states is a statute creating a trigger ban on abortion, wherein the Supreme Court striking down Roe would immediately result in an automatic complete abortion ban statewide. So far, twelve states have passed such trigger bans, and several other states are poised to follow and ban abortion entirely, should Roe be overturned. These trigger bans could have far-reaching, unintended (or perhaps completely intended) consequences not only for pregnant people, but also for those trying to prevent pregnancy through common methods such as birth control or the “morning after” pill.  Additionally, the trigger bans may have significant impacts on those pursuing in vitro fertilization (IVF), as well as on the providers of such services. Ultimately, the trigger bans are an unconscionable attack on people’s most fundamental reproductive rights, sacrificed at the altar of a single-celled fertilized egg.

Keep Reading …