4.29.2024 (PRESS STATEMENT) — This Wednesday, May 1, a six-week abortion ban is set to take effect in Florida, making Florida one of 17 states that either bans abortion entirely or at six weeks of pregnancy, before many people know they are pregnant. Currently, abortion is available in Florida up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. On April 1, the Florida Supreme Court upheld the state’s existing 15-week ban, clearing the way for the six-week ban to take effect 30 days later.  Reactions to this grim moment:  Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights: “Floridians wa ..read more

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today finalized updates to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, adding specific protections for personal health information related to reproductive care. The rule—which goes into effect June 25—puts nationwide restrictions on law enforcement’s ability to obtain reproductive health data from doctors, including data on pregnancy, abortion, and contraception care. OCR’s actions demonstrate the Administration’s commitment to protecting the privacy rights of people who ..read more

Woman stroking her 9 months pregnant belly, sitting on a wooden bench. Isolated on blue clear sky image. ©Samantha Gehrmann / Stocksy Update: On April 25, 17 state Attorneys General, led by Arkansas and Tennessee, filed suit against this rule. Unless and until a judge makes a ruling on the issue, the PWFA rule is still final and set to go into effect on June 18. We will provide more updates as they are available. Under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which passed in December 2022, employers must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees for the entire period of their ..read more

Don’t miss “Transforming Lives: Celebrating ICPD’s Impact on Choice and Autonomy,” a side event at the 57th Session of the Commission on Population and Development on April 30 from 1:15–2:45 p.m. Organized by the Center and its partners, the event seeks to create a space for civil society organizations to reflect on the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) agenda, evaluate progress and gaps in the implementation of the Programme of Action, and demonstrate its continued relevance for the realization of sexual and reproductive rights, gender equality, human rights and t ..read more

Germany’s Commission on Reproductive Self-Determination and Reproductive Medicine has recommended major reform of Germany’s abortion law. The move was made after the Center for Reproductive Rights provided input last year to the Commission on abortion laws and standards. In its April 15 statement, the Commission recommended that abortion should be legal in the early stages of pregnancy, with leeway given to the legislature for abortion in the middle phase of pregnancy.   Although abortion is currently available in Germany, its Penal Code still considers abortion to be a crime while s ..read more

Case update, April 24: The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in this case. An audio replay of the arguments is expected to be posted later today or tomorrow on the Court’s website. In its second major abortion case this term, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Wednesday, April 24, in a case that could deny pregnant patients access to emergency medical care and further upend abortion access across the country. The dispute concerns the State of Idaho’s near-total abortion ban, which conflicts with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA)—a federal law th ..read more

04.23.24 (PRESS STATEMENT) – Yesterday, the U.S. Department of State released the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which includes reporting on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in almost 200 countries. The Center commends the Biden-Harris Administration for its steadfast dedication to documenting reproductive rights around the world, especially in the face of regressive measures undermining access to abortion and gender-affirming care in the United States. These reports serve as a critical countermeasure to ongoing attempts by anti-rights groups to erode protectio ..read more

The Center for Reproductive Rights and the Centro de Derechos de Mujeres (CDM) are challenging Honduras’s total abortion ban in a case presented April 10 before the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee. The case involves Fausia, an indigenous Honduran woman and human rights defender of the Nahua People, who survived sexual violence and was forced to give birth after being denied emergency contraception and abortion care due to the country’s total ban on abortion. View media highlights about the case below. News from the Center for Reproductive Rights Case at United Nations Hu ..read more

U.S. Repro Watch provides periodic updates on news of interest on U.S. reproductive rights. Here are a few recent items you won’t want to miss: 1. An Indiana appeals court ruled that the state’s abortion ban violates religious freedom. In its April 4 ruling, the three-judge panel agreed with a lower court that plaintiffs with a religious objection to the ban should be exempt from it.   The challenge against the ban was brought by the ACLU on behalf of Hoosier Jews for Choice. The lawsuit argues that the ban violates an Indiana religious freedom law due to Jewish teaching that “a ..read more

This New York Times piece reports on recommendations by a government-appointed commission in Germany that the country liberalize its laws to legalize abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. While abortions in Germany are technically illegal, in practice, they are broadly permitted in the first 12 weeks if a woman has received mandatory counseling and then waits at least three days to terminate the pregnancy. Adriana Lamačkova, the Center’s associate director for Europe, said that Germany remains an outlier in a broader trend toward expanding access to abortion. “The legislative trend ..read more