Sarah Varney

Sarah Varney was a senior correspondent for ϳԹ News until August 2023.

Idaho Calls Abortion ‘Barbaric and Gruesome’ in Trial Challenging Strict Ban

ϳԹ News Original

Women with serious pregnancy complications who were denied abortion care have turned to state courts after appeals to state lawmakers to clarify medical exceptions have largely failed.

Maryland Is Training More Health Workers To Offer Abortion Care

ϳԹ News Original

After the fall of “Roe v. Wade,” thousands of out-of-state patients traveled to Maryland for abortion care. The state is trying to diversify who can offer that care. Providers in the first training class say their new skills are especially needed in rural areas.

Marylanders To Vote on Expansive ‘Right to Reproductive Freedom’

ϳԹ News Original

The Right to Reproductive Freedom amendment would enshrine in the state constitution a right “to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one’s own pregnancy.”

Residentes de Maryland votarán por un amplio “derecho a la libertad reproductiva”

ϳԹ News Original

En Maryland, donde el aborto es legal, una enmienda propuesta consagraría en la constitución estatal un derecho “a tomar y hacer efectivas decisiones para prevenir, continuar o terminar el propio embarazo”.

Arkansas’ Governor Says Medicaid Extension for New Moms Isn’t Needed

ϳԹ News Original

Federal law requires states to provide pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage through 60 days after delivery. Arkansas has not expanded what’s called postpartum Medicaid coverage, an option that gives poor women uninterrupted health insurance for a year after they give birth.

Her Life Was at Risk. She Needed an Abortion. Insurance Refused To Pay.

ϳԹ News Original

Insurance coverage for abortion care in the U.S. is a hodgepodge. Patients often don’t know when or if a procedure or abortion pills are covered, and the proliferation of abortion bans has exacerbated the confusion.

Cuando la aseguradora se niega a pagar un aborto que es médicamente necesario

ϳԹ News Original

En el país, la cobertura para la atención del aborto es laberíntica. A menudo, los pacientes no saben cuándo un procedimiento, o las píldoras abortivas, están cubiertas, si es que lo están; y la proliferación de prohibiciones ha exacerbado la confusión.

Since Fall of ‘Roe,’ Self-Managed Abortions Have Increased

ϳԹ News Original

The percentage of people who say they’ve tried to end a pregnancy without medical assistance increased after “Roe v. Wade” was overturned. One of the most common reasons for seeking a self-managed abortion was privacy concerns.

In Wisconsin, Women’s Health Care Is Constricted by an 1849 Law. These Doctors Are Aghast.

ϳԹ News Original

From the front lines of Wisconsin’s abortion battle, obstetricians describe patients who cannot comprehend having to carry nonviable pregnancies. And only one pharmacist in town can be found who will fill prescriptions for abortion pills.

Groups Sue to Overturn Idaho ‘Abortion Trafficking’ Law Targeting Teens

ϳԹ News Original

It is illegal to help a minor obtain an abortion in Idaho or leave the state for one without parental consent. The lawsuit says the ban infringes on the right to interstate travel and First Amendment freedoms.

Watch: 5th Circuit Judges Question Two-Decade-Old Approval of Abortion Pill

ϳԹ News Original

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard oral arguments Wednesday in a case brought by conservative Christian abortion opponents seeking to revoke FDA approval of mifepristone, a medication used in more than half of abortions in the U.S.

In Idaho, Taking a Minor Out of State for an Abortion Is Now a Crime: ‘Abortion Trafficking’

ϳԹ News Original

Under the nation’s first law of its kind, teens must have parental consent to travel for medical care, including in cases of sexual assault or rape. Any adult, including an aunt, grandparent, or sibling, convicted of violating the criminal statute faces up to five years in prison — and could be sued for financial damages.

After Idaho’s Strict Abortion Ban, OB-GYNs Stage a Quick Exodus

ϳԹ News Original

At least two Idaho hospitals are ending labor and delivery services, with one citing the state’s “legal and political climate” and noting that “recruiting replacements will be extraordinarily difficult” as doctors leave.

Watch: Rulings on Abortion Pill Have Far-Reaching Repercussions

ϳԹ News Original

Sarah Varney, a senior correspondent for KHN, joins Ali Rogin of PBS NewsHour to discuss the ruling by a federal judge in Texas that threatens nationwide access to the widely used abortion drug mifepristone, and a separate ruling in Washington state that reached the opposite conclusion.

Judge Signals He Could Rule to Halt Sales of Common Abortion Pill

ϳԹ News Original

A U.S. District Court case is being widely followed because the judge’s decision could overturn the FDA’s approval of mifepristone two decades ago. With abortion rights polling well even in red states, anti-abortion activists are increasingly turning to the courts to achieve their aims.

Estados Unidos sigue siendo uno de los países con más partos prematuros. ¿Se puede solucionar?

ϳԹ News Original

Aproximadamente uno de cada 10 nacimientos vivos en 2021 ocurrió antes de las 37 semanas de gestación, según un informe de March of Dimes publicado en 2022. En comparación, investigaciones recientes citan tasas de nacimientos prematuros del 7,4% en Inglaterra y Gales, del 6% en Francia y del 5,8% en Suecia.