Tension of Opposites

Episode 7 covers the hot-button topic of abortion later in pregnancy. Join us as we talk to Dr. Jenni Villavicencio about her work and the compassion she provides patients throughout pregnancy.

One of the most contentious topics of the last election cycle was abortion later in pregnancy (often mislabeled as “late term abortion”). Anti-abortion activists and politicians promote heinous misinformation about this care. This includes false claims that abortion is being performed after birth, an inaccurate and manipulative description of palliative care for babies born with grave physical and/or genetic abnormalities. This episode confronts both of these topics head on as we talk with OB-Gyn expert Dr. Jenni Villavicencio. She walks us through why care later in pregnancy is necessary and how patients are making thoughtful decisions for themselves and their families. We also debunk myths about abortion after birth and talk about the realities of palliative care for infants with lethal birth defects.

Photo of Dr. Villavicencio

Jenni also talks about her transformation for anti-abortion protestor to abortion care provider. Her understanding of people seeking care changed, but her values stayed the same. We are so grateful for her sharing her story and her work.

Here’s a link to listen to the episode:

Enjoy!

Here is some additional reading about the topic if you want to learn more:

• Article with some data from KFF about abortion later in pregnancy.

• Recent essay about abortion later in pregnancy from the Scientific American entitled “Third-Trimester Abortions Are Moral and Necessary Health Care” by Dr. Cara Heuser.

Did you notice that Outlawed was featured in the New and Noteworthy section on Apple Podcasts? Yep. Right there with Oprah and Scary Terry. Pretty cool. Please continue to share our work and talk about abortion with friends and family!