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During the month, Dr. Kirstin Lyerly encountered a patient who needed her IUD replaced but was feeling apprehensive about the potential discomfort.
As the day was drawing to a close, there wasn’t sufficient time for the patient to obtain a prescription to alleviate her anxiety and then come back for the procedure. In light of this, Lyerly proposed rescheduling the appointment for a later date.
Dr. Lyerly, a Democrat vying for a U.S. House seat in Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District, recognizes that winning the election would mean leaving behind her medical practice.
Nevertheless, she firmly believes that the abortion bans’ existential dangers to both her and fellow physicians’ capacity to provide essential care justify the potential sacrifice.
Dr. Lyerly, a resident of Wisconsin, has been commuting for seven hours each way to Minnesota for the past two years. In Minnesota, she dedicates 10 days a month to serving as an on-call OB-GYN at a hospital. This arrangement came about due to the limited access to abortion services in Wisconsin following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in 2022.
Dr. Lyerly’s commitment to reproductive rights led her to challenge a 1849 law that conservatives claimed prohibited abortion. As a result, she faced complaints from anti-abortion groups targeting her medical license. Fortunately, since she already practiced in Minnesota, these complaints were dismissed.
In Wisconsin, abortion has been legalized up to 22 weeks, but Republican lawmakers persistently introduce anti-abortion laws to limit access.
Meanwhile, in Minnesota, where abortion is not restricted, Lyerly notes that her patients, including the individual receiving the IUD, express concerns over potential restrictions on contraception access or possible reclassification of certain methods, such as IUDs, as abortifacients, even if a federal abortion ban is not passed by Congress.
According to Lyerly, the patient who was anxious about the IUD insertion was unaware of her political affiliations when she expressed her hesitation. Lyerly responded by stating, “Well, sister, you’ve come to the right doctor if you’re looking to get political.”
Lyerly and Dr. Kelly Morrison are both Democratic women OB-GYNs running for a U.S. House seat this year. If elected, they would become the only OB-GYNs in Congress who advocate for abortion rights.
Currently, there are 19 physicians serving in Congress, with only three of them being women. Among these physicians, Reps. Michael Burgess of Texas and Roger Marshall of Kansas are the only OB-GYNs, but they are Republicans who oppose abortion.
Morrison expressed that the election of Donald Trump in 2016 had a profound impact on her mindset. Prior to her congressional campaign, she had been serving in the state Senate following two terms in Minnesota’s House.
According to Morrison, she was deeply concerned about the potential impact of Trump’s presidency on reproductive health care and women’s health.
She was particularly alarmed by his promise to appoint justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade. This fear compelled her to make a significant decision in her life – running for office. Morrison wanted to be part of an effort to safeguard reproductive health care in Minnesota.
The 2022 midterms marked the first federal elections following the Dobbs ruling. Held several months after the ruling, its full impact was not yet clear. However, Democrats outperformed expectations during that year, partly attributed to concerns surrounding abortion access.
In just two years, full abortion bans have been implemented in 13 states, while four states now restrict abortions after just six weeks, catching many people off guard before they even realize they are pregnant.
The media has been inundated with stories of women facing immense challenges in obtaining abortions, seeking miscarriage care, and accessing assisted reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization (IVF). Tragically, the first cases of deaths linked to these abortion bans were confirmed by the investigative newsroom ProPublica in September.
Down-ticket Republican candidates are making efforts to distance themselves from the abortion bans that have been enabled by Trump’s Supreme Court justices and the congressional votes where Republicans have consistently blocked Democratic efforts to protect IVF, establish a right to contraception, and ensure abortion access.
In competitive House races, these candidates have attempted to tone down their rhetoric about abortion, although their policies and voting patterns have not always aligned with this softened stance.
Morrison expressed her profound pride in spearheading the movement to safeguard abortion rights in Minnesota, serving as the sole OB-GYN in the state legislature. She now aspires to extend this battle to the national level, focusing on crafting legislation that would have a widespread impact across the country.
Morrison emphasized the need for pro-choice OB-GYNs in the United States Congress, stating that their voices are crucial in the ongoing efforts to safeguard reproductive freedom for all Americans.