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I’m seeing a lot of talk about criminalized miscarriage this morning and want to discuss quickly how this already exists and what a person needs to do… (thread coming)
I'm not going to go far into the examples of people who have been investigated for miscarriage already - @NAPW has all that info and I don't need to rehash. advocatesforpregnantwomen.org
But I do want to reassert why miscarriage investigation is always going to be an economic and racial issue, because that cannot be stressed enough. The people most likely to face miscarriages are the communities with the least healthcare
people who can't access preventative care are more likely to miscarry. People who cannot space pregnancies because they can't access birth control are more likely to miscarry. People w/out prenatal care are more likely to miscarry. People who don't know they are pregnant.
People with water that is poisoned because a government still won't fix it. People who get pregnant before their bodies are fully developed because we've cut off sex ed. People with no nearby doctors or hospitals. I obviously could go on and on.
And then of course you bring in the racial bias in the medical field, and the racial bias in the police force, and all together you have a perfect storm of people who can pick and choose what miscarriages look "natural" and which look "suspicious." And guess who they will pick...
Anyway, I assume most of you who follow me know this. So this is the part that it really important to repeat and spread: No person should EVER be questioned or threatened when seeking emergency care. EVER. For ANY reason.
As we head into not just a time where abortion is increasingly illegal but a country where health care is hoarded and monitored, miscarriage in general is going to increase in vulnerable populations. That's just a fact. These are the things a person needs to know...
If you are experiencing a miscarriage, you are having a medical issue. Your medical care is the most important thing at that moment, and if you believe you need additional assistance you should always seek that out through a medical professional.
When you go seek assistance if you believe you are being questioned for any sort of potential investigation, your medical care IS NOT conditional on your answering questions. They cannot deny you care or post pone helping you until you answer questions. CAN NOT
Should you be miscarrying and someone start asking you questions, all you need to say is that you are pregnant, you think you are having a miscarriage, and that you are scared. There is no other information they need. NONE
If you are in an emergency medical situation and you are being asked questions that make you suspect you are being investigated, there is a helpline to assist you. That is what @sialegalteam is for. reprolegalhelpline.org
As abortion is further restricted, more people are going to be caught up in this because when abortion is illegal every miscarriage is suspect. I'm optimistic enough to think that once this happens, lawmakers will realize how wrong they've been. I do still have optimism sometimes
but until we hit rock bottom, just remember the words "I'm pregnant, I think I'm miscarrying, and I'm scared." That's all an ER needs to hear.
