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Reproductive Rights

A person wearing a blue uniform and black messenger bag walks toward the entrance of a hospital with a blue sign that reads, "Virtua Health Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital."
Closing Argument October 5
Drug Testing of Pregnant Patients Is Discriminatory, Lawsuit Claims
The Marshall Project recently investigated how faulty drug tests at hospitals lead to pregnant women being reported to authorities and at times separated from their children.
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Three items are arranged on a white surface: a salad in a white bowl, a copy of a sonogram, and a printout of positive drug test results.
News September 7
You’re About to Deliver Your Baby. This Faulty Drug Test Could Take Your Newborn Away.
Listen to our investigation into how hospitals use unreliable test results to report parents to child welfare agencies.
By The Marshall Project
A White woman, wearing a white tank top and a label that reads "Forced motherhood is female enslavement," yells while holding a sign that reads, "Stop the war on bodily autonomy." People are protesting in the background.
Closing Argument June 1
How Abortion’s Legal Landscape Post-Roe is Causing Fear and Confusion
We spoke with seven reproductive rights organizations — here’s what we found.
By and
Protesters held signs at a protest in Chicago, some of which read: "Abortion Access Everywhere!", and "My Body Now and Forever".
News March 26
Even Where Abortion Is Legal, People in Jail Face Huge Barriers
New reviews of jail policies in 13 states found vague, confusing or nonexistent guidelines and major hurdles to obtaining an abortion.
By
Amanda Aguilar, a woman with light-toned skin and red hair, wears a red tank top and denim shorts while sitting on a lawn chair outside her home.
Feature February 14
Medical Marijuana Is Legal, But Oklahoma Is Charging Women for Using It While Pregnant
Courts are set to decide if using the drug during pregnancy is a crime, even as a growing number of women in the state face prosecution.
By Brianna Bailey, The Frontier
Jessica Jackson goes through a pile of photos and paperwork that documented her life before and after her parental rights were taken away, while sitting in her living room in Conway, S.C. on August 11, 2023. Jackson tested positive for drugs while she was pregnant with her daughter. Under South Carolina policies, she ended up losing her parental rights and was placed on a child abuse registry. Only one of her children lives nearby, with the others living in other states.
Feature December 4, 2023
Pregnant Women in South Carolina Face Severe Consequences for Using Drugs
Some doctors and lawyers contend the prosecutions are based on faulty science.
By Jocelyn Grzeszczak and Eva Herscowitz, The Post and Courier
Life Inside November 17, 2023
Being a Corrections Officer Is Hard Enough. Doing the Job While Pregnant Is a Nightmare.
Lia McKeown says a California prison refused to adjust her job duties to accommodate her pregnancies. Now she’s suing for discrimination.
By Lia McKeown as told to
A layered collage illustration shows Monroe County sheriff’s investigator Spencer Woods in black and white. Behind him is an image of the Monroe County Detention Facility with a written guilty plea for the charge of child abuse, with “took drugs” in parentheses. On the left of the image is a baby ultrasound on an orange background. Underneath the ultrasound is an excerpt of court documents from the State of Mississippi.
Feature November 16, 2023
They Were Prosecuted for Using Drugs While Pregnant. But It May Not Have Been a Crime
Dozens of women in Mississippi have been charged with child abuse crimes that, based on existing state law, they may not have committed.
By Anna Wolfe, Mississippi Today
A young Black girl, wearing a yellow blouse, plays with seashells on a kitchen countertop. A Black woman, wearing a red blouse and red lipstick, stands with her hands on her hips in the background.
Feature July 26, 2023
How One Alabama County Declared War on Pregnant Women Who Use Drugs
Some women were prosecuted for smoking marijuana before they even knew they were expecting.
By Amy Yurkanin, AL.com
A White woman with light blonde hair looks at a photo she is holding in her hands of her daughter in a blue graduation gown.
Feature July 25, 2023
These States Are Using Fetal Personhood to Put Women Behind Bars
Hundreds of women who used drugs while pregnant have faced criminal charges — even when they deliver healthy babies.
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