Episode Details

On April 27, Arkansas officials issued a directive requiring anyone seeking elective surgery to obtain a negative COVID-19 test 48 hours prior to an abortion. Can you guess which elective procedure those officials were primarily targeting? Yep, that's right: procedural abortion.

Advocates almost immediately sued on behalf of three patients who needed an abortion, hadn’t been able to get a COVID-19 test, and were closing in on the deadline imposed by Arkansas' 20-week abortion ban. According to the lawsuit, Little Rock Family Planning Services had contacted more than 15 testing locations but couldn’t find a single place that would test asymptomatic people. Now the courts have weighed in, and it's a hot mess.

On this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani Gandy and Jessica Mason Pieklo explain everything happening in Arkansas and ask: Why can people go to the orthodontist without a test—but not the abortion provider?

Support Jess, Imani, and Boom! Lawyered at: https://rewire.news/boomgive

Expert Repro Journalism That Inspires. 

Episodes like this take time, research, and a commitment to the truth. If Boom! Lawyered helps you understand what’s at stake in our courts, chip in to keep our fearless legal analysis alive. Become a member today.

B*itch, Listen now has its own dedicated feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts. If you already subscribe to Boom! Lawyered, sign up for B*tch, Listen so you won't miss it.