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The announcement that Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy will retire at the end of the month and President Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to take his place has spurred concern over the future of women’s reproductive options. Not only is the legal status of abortion at stake, but the concept of embryos as “persons” could be decided by the next Supreme Court. Despite the explosion of genetic technology that has revolutionized reproductive medicine over the past decade, I fear that an answer to the question of personhood based on faith rather than science could hinder our ability to improve the chance of having a healthy child. ...Eleven states have introduced “personhood” bills (none have passed) and more than a dozen court cases have been brought on this issue. The outcome of these cases could significantly limit the ability to practice reproductive medicine techniques such as IVF with preimplantation genetic testing. (Eric J. Forman, 7/24)

The Department of Health and Human Services has proposed a binding rule that would stop health providers in clinics that receive federal public family planning money from providing patients with full and accurate reproductive health information and services. Requiring doctors to withhold information is terrible policy, and it will harm people living in poverty the most. (Kelly Flannery, 7/23)

We are witnessing the willful destruction of the institutions and infrastructure that are key to the health and well-being of women and families and also to that of our economy and our democracy. This is what the war on women — which is also a war on workers — looks like. If Trump and the GOP have their way and seat Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, it will hasten a dramatic landscape shift that will make the United States an increasingly hostile place for women and their children. (Andrea Flynn, 7/23)

“What It Takes to Get an Abortion in the Most Restrictive State in the U.S.” (New York Times news graphic, July 23) poignantly demonstrates just how hard it is to get an abortion in Mississippi. But it’s not just Mississippi (or Texas or Arkansas): Six states are down to only one abortion clinic, under constant threat of closing by ideologically motivated politicians. (Jennifer Dalven, 7/23)

Long-acting reversible contraceptives — an intrauterine device, or IUD, and a rod-shaped implant in the arm — are the clearest way to reduce such pregnancies. ...Despite their clear benefits, such contraceptives are not often placed at the most obvious time -- in the minutes following delivery — even though that has been shown to be a safe and effective strategy for averting unwanted pregnancies. (Raj Reddy, 7/23)