On Jan. 20th, 2025, the first day of the Trump administration, citizens noticed something strange – the website, reproductiverights.gov, was no longer available. Initially created in 2022 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of a broad public awareness campaign, the site held information on topics such as abortion access and reproductive health along with providing Know-Your-Rights resources. It also listed services covered under various insurance plans, including breast and cervical cancer screenings, prenatal care, and HIV screenings.
While this site existed as one of many resources, its loss remains incredibly impactful for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it was a major pillar of support for those still reeling from the overturning of Roe v. Wade in late June of 2022. The Supreme Court ruling, which ended the constitutional right to abortion nationwide, caused an almost immediate reversal of abortion rights and protection in almost half of the United States. Currently, 19 states have abortion bans in place, though with varying limits, and the fight is still ongoing in others, with Montana and Wyoming having recently blocked bans. Reproductiverights.gov acted as a response to these changes by informing and assisting citizens. Other government actions included the formation of the Reproductive Rights Task Force to protect access to life-saving care and supply knowledge of reproductive freedoms.
In the last few weeks, legislation such as H.R.722 has been introduced, this bill potentially threatening the lives of millions of people. If passed, it would constitute all life to start at conception, granting embryos and fetuses the same rights as fully formed people and even making miscarriages considered as ‘manslaughter’. Furthermore, harmful executive orders have been put in place, such as Executive Order 14168, which, while focusing on illogical rhetoric of “gender ideology extremism,” uses language such as, “person belonging, at conception,” which furthers this ongoing push towards the restriction of reproductive rights. Lack of abortion access has been shown to have extremely negative effects. Nearly 68,000 people die annually of unsafe abortion, and of 42 million yearly that make the decision to have an abortion, nearly 20 million of those are unsafe. With access slowly starting to dwindle, and as the websites that keep us informed and provide information on where to seek care start to disappear, where are we left amongst this?
Shutting down the site represents something larger. Lack of access to information can be detrimental to society- especially since information regarding abortion, reproductive rights, and overall health can be life-saving for many. It has been proven that access to this information reduces teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and overall promotes educated choices relating to general health.
In a time where care is being withheld and the rights to our own bodies are being taken away, keep yourselves educated. The loss of one major resource does not mean the loss of all- see Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights. It simply means that people who were once uninterested must become proactive in staying informed. Continue to pay attention, even if the changes don’t directly affect you, because we are all in this together.
