Everything you missed at Ms. this week.

"*Ms.*"* Weekly Digest | April 4, 2020*

*Letter from an Editor*











Dear John,
As the COVID-19 global health crisis worsens, conservative lawmakers in states across the country continue their attacks on reproductive rights. This week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals allowed Texas to continue closing all abortion clinics in the state, enforcing new restrictions to abortion access, deeming abortions "non-essential."
Adding more infuriating fuel to the fire, Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared this week that church services are "essential" and may continue during the pandemic. That's right: a safe, truly essential medical procedure that involves only a woman and her doctor is not allowed-but large gatherings during which participants stand closely to one another may continue unhindered. You can't say the war on women is a subtle one.
As abortion access is being restricted in states like Ohio, Mississippi, Iowa, Louisiana and Texas under the guise of protecting public health, medical professionals are calling for greater access to the abortion pill and telemedicine, as a way to provide safe, accessible, socially distanced reproductive health care during this crisis. You can read more below about how women in 13 states can secure abortion pills by mail.
This week, "Ms". also looked into the legality of self-managed abortions-that is, when a woman administers her own abortion using the pills mifepristone and misoprostol, which can simply, safely and effectively end a pregnancy at home, with or without medical supervision.
Here at "Ms"., our team is continuing to report through this global health crisis, doing what we can to keep you informed and up-to-date on some of the most underreported issues of this pandemic. *We ask that you consider supporting our work to bring you substantive, unique reporting-we can't do it without your support. [ [link removed] ]*
For equality,


*Kathy Spillar*
Executive Editor _________________________________________





*This Week's Must-Reads from "Ms".*

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*Abortion Is Available by Mail in 13 States; 21 Attorneys General Urge Broader Access [ [link removed] ]*





BY CARRIE N. BAKER | A research study on telemedicine abortion is currently running in 13 states-Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, Georgia, New York, Maine, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Maryland and Montana-allowing clinicians participating to provide medication abortion care by videoconference and mail, without an in-person visit to an abortion provider.

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*Self-Managed Abortion Is Medically Very Safe. But Is It Legally Safe? [ [link removed] ]*



BY CARRIE N. BAKER | Today, as many states increasingly restrict abortion access, women are once again finding ways to access safe abortion on their own. With the use of abortion pills-mifepristone and misoprostol-women can simply, safely and effectively end a pregnancy at home, with or without medical supervision. Evidence indicates that self-managed abortion is on the rise in the U.S.

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*Op-ed: The "All-Consuming" Emotional Labor Caused by Coronavirus-and Shouldered by Women [ [link removed] ]*





BY ANDREA FLYNN | "Structural sexism is always lurking just below the surface, ready to rear its ugly head and quickly upset any semblance of intra-household gender equity."

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*Texas Lawmakers Deem Abortion 'Non-Essential,' But Church 'Essential' [ [link removed] ]*





BY FEMINIST NEWSWIRE | On Tuesday, a U.S. Court of Appeals ruled to allow Texas to continue enforcing limits on abortion access, due to the state's policy of postponing "non-essential" procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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*Women Healthcare Workers Deserve Fair and Equal Pay [ [link removed] ]*







BY ELEANOR SMEAL | Right now, women in healthcare are on the frontlines of the response to COVID-19, risking their safety every day to save the lives of those critically ill. Yet, while women make up 78 percent of the healthcare field overall, they consistently earn less than their male counterparts across the board.

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*Weekend Reading on Women's Representation: "Remember the Ladies" [ [link removed] ]*





BY CYNTHIA RICHIE TERRELL | Our friend, Cynthia Terrell, founder and executive director of RepresentWomen, is back with another installment of her new weekly column! Each week, she compiles some of her favorite stories about women's representation in politics, on boards, in sports and entertainment, in judicial offices and in the private sector in the U.S. and around the world.