Event Website
https://publichealth.lsuhsc.edu/honorsday/2023/
Start Date
1-4-2024 9:00 AM
Description
The loss of federal abortion protections resulting from the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling has created a landscape where women and birth-capable people face insurmountable barriers when seeking abortion care. Rapidly changing grounds-based policies require that abortion seekers satisfy specific health-related “grounds” or qualifying exceptions. These policies are often vague and difficult to implement in medical practice, leading to delays and denial of abortion care. Delays and denial lead to adverse physical health outcomes, increased economic insecurity, and present a looming mental health crisis. This paper explores the impact of current "grounds" based approaches to abortion provision on women who publicly shared their stories when attempting to obtain abortion care after a diagnosis of a serious pregnancy complication. A thematic review of mental health experiences related to delay and denial of care will be used to identify emergent themes in these stories. This preliminary exploration will document the impact of "grounds" requirements on the provision of abortion care. These lived experiences may provide a vehicle for conceptualizing challenges in public health practice, particularly in mental health, equity, and the delivery and quality of care. The insight gained will be applied to an adaption of The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities research framework. This framework can guide research and interventions that appropriately address the multiple dimensions of influence that impact mental health outcomes associated with delays and denials of abortion care.
Recommended Citation
Hembree, Lacy, "From Delays to Denial: An Exploration of the Impact of "Grounds-Based" Abortion Restrictions on Mental Health" (2024). School of Public Health Delta Omega Honors Day Poster Sessions. 8.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/dohd/2023/2023/8
From Delays to Denial: An Exploration of the Impact of "Grounds-Based" Abortion Restrictions on Mental Health
The loss of federal abortion protections resulting from the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling has created a landscape where women and birth-capable people face insurmountable barriers when seeking abortion care. Rapidly changing grounds-based policies require that abortion seekers satisfy specific health-related “grounds” or qualifying exceptions. These policies are often vague and difficult to implement in medical practice, leading to delays and denial of abortion care. Delays and denial lead to adverse physical health outcomes, increased economic insecurity, and present a looming mental health crisis. This paper explores the impact of current "grounds" based approaches to abortion provision on women who publicly shared their stories when attempting to obtain abortion care after a diagnosis of a serious pregnancy complication. A thematic review of mental health experiences related to delay and denial of care will be used to identify emergent themes in these stories. This preliminary exploration will document the impact of "grounds" requirements on the provision of abortion care. These lived experiences may provide a vehicle for conceptualizing challenges in public health practice, particularly in mental health, equity, and the delivery and quality of care. The insight gained will be applied to an adaption of The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities research framework. This framework can guide research and interventions that appropriately address the multiple dimensions of influence that impact mental health outcomes associated with delays and denials of abortion care.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/dohd/2023/2023/8