Reproductive health and abortion law vary dramatically across the nation. With attendees gathering for the APHA Annual Meeting and Expo from every state, as well as other countries, we believe it is important to share reproductive health information specific to Georgia, the site of APHA 2023, especially for those attendees who are pregnant or of reproductive age.
In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that the Constitution of the United States does not confer a right to abortion and eliminated federal standards on abortion access. Since then, it has been up to each state to establish laws regarding abortion access.
We encourage you to review the following information if you are pregnant or plan to be pregnant at the time of the conference.
Abortion in Georgia is no longer legal after detection of fetal cardiac activity (approximately six weeks gestational age).
There are exceptions to this law including:
- Pregnancies that result from rape or incest, if a police report has been filed.
- Removal of ectopic pregnancy.
- Medical emergencies, which are defined in the law as a situation “in which an abortion is necessary in order to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or the substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.”
- Medical futility, which is defined in the law as a situation where in a “reasonable medical judgement, an unborn child has a profound and irremediable congenital or chromosomal anomaly that is incompatible with sustaining life after birth.”
- Miscarriage or stillbirth.
Source: Georgia Obstetrical and Gynecological Society
If you are pregnant, consider talking with your prenatal provider in advance of travel. This is especially important if you have any conditions that increase your risk for pregnancy complications and/or if you are receiving prenatal care from maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists.
You should also consider communicating with your insurance plan to discuss and confirm coverage options if you are outside of your home network. If you need additional information, ARC-Southeast and Feminist Women’s Health Center will be present at the Annual Meeting to assist, which may include financial assistance to travel out of state.
Reproductive Care Resources in Georgia:
Additional Information: