Update |

Public Letter: Stop Giving Airtime to Anti-Abortion Extremists

Dear reporters, journalists, editorial teams, and producers,

We are writing today with a big request: stop giving air-time to anti-abortion activists. As the undersigned over 600 providers of abortion care, people who have had abortions and will have abortions, abortion advocates, and individuals who work with the media regularly, we could not be more concerned for the safety and well-being of our communities, in part because of the misinformation, disinformation, and inflammatory threats shared and encouraged by anti-abortion activists in the media.

We know your reporting standards are to cover “both sides” of any debate. Allow us to be clear: Medicine and science are not up for debate. Health care is not a matter of opinion, it is a matter of fact. And the fact is, abortion is not in the realm of theory or belief. Abortion belongs in health care, social services, and public health reporting.

With this in mind, we are asking for a commitment from the community of media outlets reporting on abortion to keep in mind the true danger that you present when interviewing anti-abortion extremists. You are giving the opportunity for dangerous lies to spread. You are, by way of asking them questions, legitimizing their answers. You are allowing hateful, dangerous harassers to build a base that encourages protesting at clinics, stalking and harming clinic staff and abortion providers, and online and in-person abuse of people who have abortions and those who support them in getting that care.

We are concerned for our safety when we and our colleagues are quoted alongside the leaders of anti-abortion extremist groups. And given the makeup of their supporter base, the makeup of the Supreme Court, and the makeup of our state legislators, we believe we have legitimate reason for concern.

If you believe in the evidence-based reasoning of medical care, if you believe in keeping communities safe, and if you believe in centering the needs of experts of an issue, in this case people who have and provide abortions, then we ask that you interview and center the real experts of this area of medicine.

The way we talk about abortion matters. We are offering up our time and expertise to editorial boards, producers, researchers, and reporters for closed-room discussions on how to better your editorial and coverage strategies in service of communities.

Thank you,

Dr. Christina Bourne
Kelsey Rhodes
Dr. Maya Bass
Dr. Cassy Friedrich
Dr. Robin Holmes
Dr. Rachna Gulati
Dr. Kelly Pfeifer
Dr. Iman Alsaden
Dr. Rebecca Taub
Dr. Ruth Lehman Wiens
Dr. Dani Fincher
Physicians for Reproductive Health
Catalina Moreno
Madison Gresham
Stormi Herbison
Alexandria Parra
Jessica Sazama
Victoria Lank, RN
Sam Treat, RN
Kailey Voellinger, MSSW
Lucia Ulloa
Ashley Brink
Dr. Jody Steinauer
Alejandra Velasco
Abigail Lambert
Jennifer Guerrero
Ayla Clymer
Dr. Quinn Jackson
Dr. Valerie French
Kate Cherveny, RN
Dr. Ashley Robbins
Dr Hilary Rainbolt
Dr. Montida Fleming
Flor Hunt
Alena Chavez
Training in Early Abortion for Comprehensive Healthcare (TEACH)
Rebecca Tong
Dr. Lara Crystal-Ornelas
Rev. Deneen Robinson
Dr. April Lockley
Dr. Angeline Ti
Reesa Roberts, PA-C
Dr. Selina Sandoval
Dalbir Khalsa PA-C
Rimsha Syed
Dr. Shelly Tien
Tampa Bay Abortion Fund
Anna Towns
Meagan Zampieri-Lillpopp
Dr. Carla Burford
Dr. Bruce Price
Dr. Daniel Grossman
Dr. Meera Shah
Dr. Joey Banks
Dr. Emily Guh
Jacqueline Barbic
Kodie Dossett
Lizeth Lucio
Dr. Lin-Fan Wang
Kiernan Cobb, RN
Dr Bhavik Kumar
Dr. Aishat Olatunde
Dr. Brian T. Nguyen
Dr. Jennifer Chin
Dr. Mollie Nisen
Dr. Kate White
Dr. Brandi Shah
Dr. Misha Pangasa
Dr. Sarah Green
Dr. Rebecca Simon
Dr. Emily Cohen
Dr. Sapna Kalsy
Dr. Chelsea Thibodeau
Dr. Melissa Wong
Dr. Jennifer Hsia
Dr. Joe Nelson
Dr. Mayra Hernandez
Dr. Lisa Hofler
Dr. Martha Simmons
Dr. Maggie Carpenter
Dr. Caitlin Bernard
Dr. Hillary McLaren
Dr. Amber Truehart
Dr. Michael A. Belmonte
Dr. Renee Mestad
Dr. Bruce H. Price
Dr. Andrea Gordon
Dr. Dawn Bingham
Dr. Samantha Glass
Dr. Stephanie Ho
Dr. Rebecca Cohen
Dr. Zevidah Vickery
Dr. Chelsea Faso
Dr. Lealah Pollock
Dr. Rebecca Miller
Dr. Gopika Krishna
Dr. Anna Whelan
Dr. Emily Freeman
Dr. Jennifer Karlin
Dr. Shandhini Raidoo
Dr. Marit Pearlman Shapiro
Dr. Lindsay Dale
Dr. Stephanie Rand
Dr Francesca Manfredi
Dr. Jen Flament
Dr. Wing Kay Fok
Dr. Rayna Sobieski
Dr. Sarah McNeil
Dr. Yakira Teitel
Dr. Jessica Friedman
Dr. Moira Rashid
Dr. Michelle Blyth
Dr. Michelle Nichols
Dr. Danielle Baurer
Abortion Fund of Ohio
Dr Danielle O’Banion
Dr. Jessica K. Lee
Dr. Hannah Rosenfield
Dr. Stephanie Mischell
Dr. Mansi Shah
Dr. Sarah O’Connor
Dr. Linda Prine
Dr. Lisa Netherland
Dr. Sami Heywood
Dr. Jane van Dis
Cindy Adam, MS, FNP-C
Dr. Suzan Goodman
Dr. Jack Chase
Dr. Aisha Wagner
Dr. Kelly Thibert
Dr. Lynette Leighton
Dr Rebecca J Mercier
Shireen R. Shakouri
Dr. Alison Case
Dr. Hoai-nam Hoang
Dr. Payal Patel
Dr. Smita Carroll
Dr. Deborah Glupczynski
Dr. David Eisenberg
Dr. Azmina Bhayani
Dr. Katie McHugh
Dr. Emma Richardson
Dr. Darcie Burton
Dr. Tracey Wilkinson
Dr. Jessica Beaman
Dr. Leilah Zahedi-Spung
Dr. Bich-May Nguyen
Dr. Libby Wetterer
Dr. Eneniziaogochukwu Okocha
Dr. Talia Eisenstein
Dr. Robin Wallace
Dr. Glenna Martin
Dr. Ashley Brant
Dr. Caitlin Gustafson
Dr. Jen Hastings
Dr. Elyse Trinh
Dr. Steven Chang
Dr. Amy Potter
Dr. Stacy De-Lin
Dr. Ben Brown
Dr. Nicole Fanarjian
Dr. Sujatha Prabhakaran
Dr. S. Louise Carr
Dr. Julie Johnston
Dr. Halley Crissman
Dr. Ivana Thompson
Dr. Robyn Schickler
Dr. Leah Torres
Dr. Kathy King
Lily Trotta
Kimberlynn Floren
Helen Weems, RN, APRN
Dr. Jenny Wang
Dr. Liza Brecher
Dr. Emily Barker
Dr. Kristyn Brandi
Dr. Jiana Menendez
Dr. Sami Lubega
David Wang
Dr. Brendan Prast
Carrie Shaw
Dr. Alhambra Frarey
Caroline Duble
Society of Family Planning
Divya Jain
We Testify
We Testify Storytellers
Renee Bracey Sherman
Sara Kirkwood, MPA
Ariella Messing
Online Abortion Resource Squad (OARS)
A Woman’s Choice of Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Jacksonville
ProgressNow New Mexico
Birth In Color RVA Foundation
Dr. Chelsea Daniels
MiQuel Davies, JD, BSW
Susan Yanow MSW
Women Help Women/SASS
Kwajelyn J. Jackson
Feminist Women’s Health Center
Dr. Kathryn McClellan
Rev.Erika Forbes -Post Roe Power
Erika Christensen
Garin Marschall
Patient Forward
Liz Borkowski, MPH
Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley
Danielle Kapsalakis
Dr. Laura Harris
Dr. Christina Shenko
Avow – Unapologetic Abortion Advocacy
Dr. E Rose McAlister
Lakeesha Harris – Lift Louisiana
Pro Choice Missouri
Anita Brakman, MS
Jennifer Driver
State Innovation Exchange (SiX)
Fran Linkin, MPH
Abortion Access Front
Max Carwile
Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Dr. Ruvani Jayaweera
Dr. Caitlin Gerdts
Stephanie Kraft Sheley, JD, MHA
Dr. Heidi Moseson
German A. Ospina
Right By You
National Advocates for Pregnant Women
Dr. Jamila Perritt
Dr. Liza Fuentes
Jasmine Thomas
National Organization for Women
Advocates for Youth
Dana M. Northcraft, JD
Louisiana NOW
NOW Baton Rouge
Angela Adkins
Dr. Ashley Jeanlus
Steph Black
Terry Sanders
Florida NOW Education Fund
Dr. Mallory Koula
Eme Crawford, Ph.D.
Bianca Hall, DO
Katie Quinonez, MPA
Women’s Health Center of West Virginia
Dr. Pratima Gupta
Lisa Stern, NP
Kaylen Barker, MPA
National Institute for Reproductive Health
Alison Kliegman, MPH
Beverly Maldonado, CNM
Dr. Nika Vizcarra
Pro-Choice Advocacy League (PAL) of Polk County
Trust Women
I Cori Baill, MD FACOG
Rana Barar, MPH
Anna Bernstein, MPH
National Birth Equity Collaborative
National Network of Abortion Funds
10,000 Women Louisiana
Dr. Sheila Attaie
Dr. Michael Walls DO MPH
American Medical Student Association
Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR)
Lift Louisiana
Fatimah Gifford
Provide
Elise Higgins, MA
Shannon Zhou, Medical student
Frontera Fund
Gracie Nichols, CRNPplanned
Virali Modi-Parekh
Ipas
Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH)
Louisiana Coalition for Reproductive Freedom
In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda
Dr. Nina Breakstone
Women’s Medical Fund, Inc.
National Women’s Law Center
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Girls Inc.
Cassandra Carver, MPA
Dr. R Kasper
Lyndel Sorenson, Medical Student
Reproductive Rights Coalition (RRC)
Dr. Ann Schutt-Aine
Rhia Ventures
Erika Seth Davies
Dr. Crystal Tyler
Lizamarie Mohammed, JD
Healthy and Free Tennessee
Partners in Abortion Care
Dr. Diane Horvath
Dr. Marcia Glass
Center for Reproductive Rights
Dr. Anne Marie Williams
Women’s Foundation of Florida
Rachel Kashy MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
Brianna Wenande, Medical Student
Jennifer Heitel, MPH
Mikayla Dawson
Laurie Woodward Garcia
Broward for Progress
Dr. Rachel Logan
Dr. Laura Laursen
Molly Rose Greenberg, RN
Heidi Netherton RN/MSW
URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
Dr. Courtney Wechsler
Chelsea Recor MD,MPH
Dr. Carla Castillo
Ariel Eastburn McCormick, MA
Dr. Debra Stulberg
Dr. Amanda Sandles, DO
Olivia K. Cappello
Laura Lazar, MPH
Ashley Mitchell, MPH, CPE
Dr. Jamie Phifer
Abortion On Demand
Dr. Ashish Premkumar
Plan C
Adrienne Ramcharan, MPH
National Women’s Health Network
Allison Fine
ACCESS Reproductive Justice
The Womxn Project
Abortion On Our Own Terms
Ruth’s List Florida
Alice Cartwright, MPH
Dr. Amy Paris
Ms. Debbie Deland, President FL NOW and Greater Orlando NOW
FL National Organization for Women
Greater Orlando National Organization for Women
Arizona Family Health Partnership
Pro-Choice North Carolina
Florida Rising
Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health
Dr. Nancy L. Stanwood, MD, MPH
Miami Coalition to Advance Racial Equity
Bans Off Miami
Katrina “Kat” Duesterhaus, Miami Sexual Assault Response Team
Decrim 305
Dr. Terri Mitchell
Dr. Julie Jenkins
Dr. Sarah Prager
Dr. Matthew Zerden
Dr. Tyler Gray
Dr. Justine Wu
Dr. Katherine Brown
Nicole Ewens PA-C
Dr. Cresta Jones
Dr. Colton Wasserman
Dr. Jenny Abrams
Dr. Dilys Walker
Elizabeth Meade, FNP-C
Dr. Nicole Yonke
Dalila Aguilar, M.D.
Kelley Dennings, MPH
Dr. Roma Amin
Dr. Serina Floyd
Danna Ghafir
Kim Elmore, PhD
Reproaction
Erin Matson
Dr. Julie Blossom-Hartley
Dr. Jared Goldberg
Abortion Care Network
Jacksonville NOW Chapter
Heather Edstrom, WHNP
Reproductive Health Access Project
Dr. Erika Garcia
Drs Peter and Nancy Staats
Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida
Kyla Swain
Melissa Zukerman
Dr. Nigel Madden
Kelly Nelson
Lee Hasselbacher, JD
Robin Sikes, LMSW
Keshet, LGBTQ Jews
Dr. Mehwish Farooqi
Whole Woman’s Health
Whole Woman’s Health Alliance
Hanz Dismer, LCSW, MSW, MPH, CSE
Hope Clinic for Women
Austin Women’s Health Center
Amber Gavin
Alison Dreith
Midwest Access Coalition
Apiary for Practical Support
Ilana Dzuba, MHS
Robin Watkins, CNM, WHNP-BC
DuPont Clinic
Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights (GRR!)
Insight to Incite: Elder Abortion Storytellers from GRR!
Tanya Little
Summit Medical Associates, Atlanta
Summit Medical Center, Detroit
Dr. Allison Ursu
Faith Choice Ohio
Karishma Oza, MPH
Laura Frye, MPH
Blue Mountain Clinic
Susan Wicklund Fund
ineedanA.com
UCSF Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health
Dr. Donna Ceglar
Nurses for Sexual and Reprodutive Health
If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice
Dr. Deborah Oyer
Atlanta Women’s Center
Hartford GYN Center
Philadelphia Women’s Center
Delaware County Women’s Centerx
Cherry Hill Women’s Center
Dr. Julia Oat-Judge
Ash Turner
Allentown Women’s Center
National Asian Pacific American Women’s
Forum (NAPAWF)
Dr. Julie Amaon, Medical Director at Just The Pill/Abortion Delivered
Catholics For Choice
Pro-Choice Ohio
Kristie Monast, MS Ed
Joshua St. Louis, MD, MPH, AAHIVS
Dr. Noa’a Shimoni
Dr. Atsuko Koyama
Dr. Catherine Romanos (Ohio)
Pamela R. Lightsey, PhD
Ariana Thompson-Lastad, PhD
Reproductive Justice Action Collective (ReJAC)
Dr. Debbie Bamberger
Cindy Adam, Choix, CEO, MS, FNP-C
Sarah H. Green
Emily Neiman, CNM
Dr. Anna Valdez
Emily Kirchner, MD
Meghan Eagen-Torkko, PhD, CNM, ARNP, FACNM
Jessica Dillard-Wright, PhD, MA, RN, CNM
Michelle Farber, CNM ARNP
Bree Ferrin, RN, FNP
Kathy Simmonds
Jessica Burke-Lazarus, CNM ARNP
Laura M Lara, MD
Jillian Barovick, CNM
Elizabeth Scott, FNP-BC
Steph Herold, MPH
D. Lorell Erwin CNM, FNP
Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey
Gina Marcin CNM, APN, LAc, RH (AHG)
Dr. Jessica Holmes
Nicole Chaisson, MD, MPH
Crystal Labbato DNP, APRN
Loretta H. Winters
Phillip L. Rice Jr., MD
Tara Shochet, PhD MPH
Noelle Jacobsen, DNP, CNM, APRN
Caitlin Weber, MD
Colleen L. Quesnell DNP, APRN, CNM
Rachel Neal, MD
Irene
Gynuity Health Projects
Hannah Matthews
LSUHSC Medical Students for Choice
Julie Schwam Harris
Ghazaleh Moayedi, DO, MPH
SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change
Marcela Smid, MD MA MS
Melissa Chen
kelly kirkpatrick
Luu Ireland, MD, MPH
Jessika Ralph, MD MSCI
Rachel B. Rapkin, MD, MPH
Dr. Kohar Der simonian
Narges Farahi, MD
Courtney Kerestes, MD
Gender Justice
Bailey Cannon
Jonas Swartz, MD, MPH
Jessica L Rubino, MD
Cara Heuser MD
Chavi Kahn
Caitlin Blau, DO
Alison Block
Elena Galindo, MD
Emily Schneider MD, MS, FACOG
Mae Winchester, MD, FACOG
Jennie Wetter
Rathika Nimalendran
Jaclyn Friedman
EducateUS: SIECUS In Action
National Council of Jewish Women
Sumathi Narayana, MD, MSPH
Stephanie Chen MD
Karen Thurston, 2+ Abortions Worldwide
Piyapa Praditpan MD
Andrea Westby, MD
Chelsea Souder, MPH
Dr. Elissa T. Serapio
Siddhartha Bajracharya MD
Lydia Prevost MD
M. Brett Cooper, MD, M.Ed.
Blythe Bynum MD
Audrey Lance, MD
Abbey Hardy-Fairbanks, MD
Kanthi Dhaduvai, MD
Dr. Julie Brody Magid
Shailee Udani, DO
Carrie Griffin DO
Radha Raman MD
Dr. Lynette Leighton
National Council of Jewish Women, Essex Co., NJ Section
Lawyering Project
Jiana Menendez, MD, MPH
Anuj Khattar MD
Ruth Lesnewski
Ginger Gillespie MD
Susan E Rubin, MD, MPH
Anna Kuzel, DO
Casandra Cashman, MD, FAAFP
Kelly Culwell
DC Abortion Fund
Stephanie Black
Dr. Jennifer Conti
Reproductive Equity Now
Glenn Northern
Sarah Wallett, MD MPH
Emma Goldman Clinic
Rhea Beddoe
Regina Ginzburg
Kathryn Fay, MD MSCI
Hannah Wheelwright
Dr Noreen Singh
Jennifer Tang, MD, MSCR, FACOG
Gina Martínez
Stacey Leigh Rubin, MD MPH FACOG
Greer Hamilton
Olivia Perlmutt, MD MPH
Yasmin Hashemi
Trans Empowerment Project
Jack Knoxville
Brittany Jacob MD
Dr. Julia McDonald
Gender Justice
UnRestrict Minnesota
Cedar River Clinics
Liza Pine, MD
Dr. Natalie Gladstein
Thia’a Rahman
Lexi Goldstein
William M. Leininger, MD
Talia K. Urdanigo
National Women’s Political Caucus
REPRO Rising Virginia
Aaron Afran MD
Jesse Cole MD
Radeeb Akhtar
Amy Mercieca
Alecia Fields, DO, FACOG
Betsy Salkind
Dorian Karp
Elizabeth Thomason, MD MPH
NARAL Pro-Choice America
Mona Dalal
Positive Women’s Network-USA
Divya Shenoy MD MPH
Reclaim
Northland Family Planning Centers of MI
Lauren H
Dr. CeCe Cheng
Jennifer Lesko MD MPH FACOG
Naomi Braine
Holistic Abortions
Dr. Hilary Rosenstein
American Humanist Association
Deborah Rosenbloom
Susan M. Seibold-Simpson, PhD, MPH, RN, FNP
Lisa Fleischer
Charles Loflin, UU FaithAction NJ
Abbie DeVoe
Taylor Rose Ellsworth
Laura Riker
Dr. Gabriela Aguilar
Sarah Spurgeon
Eboni
Tiffani S
Sarah Valliere
Connie Liu
LP
Lexie Bushee
Dana Caruso
Jennifer A. Robinson, MD, MPHTM, PhD
Erica Hinz, MD, MPH
Nisha Verma, MD, MPH
Ariel Franks, MD
Alex Blakelock
National Abortion Federation
Emily E Young, MD
Sara Imershein MD MPH
Robert B Goldberg DO
Dr. Judith Johnson
Melanie MacLennan MD MFA MPH
Kara E Moloney, MS, MSN, WHNP-BC
Patricia Downey, CNM
Sara Beth Karp MD
Medical Students for Choice
Hayley McMahon MSPH, CPH
Dr Jamie Phifer, MD
National Network of Abortion Funds
Lesley Atwood MD
Kala Kluender, CNM
SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change
Reproductive Freedom Fund of New Hampshire
Katherine Farris, MD – CMO, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic
Marcela Josephine Trocha
Kara Pravdo MSN, CRNP
Cobalt
Karol Serafin