In this Women in America episode, hosts Pari and Eve speak with Dr. Kristen Lyerly, an OBGYN from Wisconsin, about the escalating crisis in women’s health amid abortion restrictions and a federal government shutdown.
Dr. Lyerly details how fear and stigma, rather than law, are limiting access to essential care, even in states like Minnesota where abortion remains legal. She describes shuttered rural hospitals, rising violence against healthcare workers and doctors fleeing restrictive states.
As public health systems crumble and Medicaid cuts deepen inequalities, Dr. Lyerly urges Americans to engage in honest community conversations and vote in every election. Despite harsh realities, she finds hope in a new generation of young physicians entering medicine as advocates, determined to rebuild healthcare on a foundation of compassion, science and equity.
