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Steph Herold

@stephherold.bsky.social
6.5K followers 1.2K following 461 posts

Researcher studying abortion on TV & film. Studying Jewish texts, autism, motherhood whenever I can. Indiscriminate dog lover. She/ her. All views are mine.

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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Today marks 50 years since the passage of the Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal funding for abortion. This makes it very challenging for people struggling to make ends meet to cover the cost of an abortion, one of the most common barriers. But how often does this experience make it onscreen?
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ANSIRH @ansirh.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Meet MiMi! A conceptual design for a future over-the-counter medication abortion kit containing instructions, abortion pills, and a pregnancy test. MiMi is not yet available—but it’s a dream that could one day be reality. Here's why: [🧵] www.mimi4all.com
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
When Dirty Dancing premiered 39 years ago in 1987, audiences may have flocked to theaters for romance, dancing, and (let’s be honest) Patrick Swayze, but they also encountered an unusually direct depiction of illegal abortion.
Screenshot of the scene in Dirty Dancing when Johnny is comforting Penny after her abortion. The screenshot is in an image of an old timey TV.
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
"Claims about coerced abortion have long been exploited by abortion opponents as justification for abortion restrictions...yet in our sample, blocking access to abortion was reported more frequently than attempts to force an abortion." onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
How Common Is Abortion Coercion? Evidence From a Large <fc>US</fc> Sample of People Assigned Male at Birth
Objective Reproductive coercion encompasses a range of partner behaviors that violate reproductive autonomy, including contraceptive sabotage, coercion to become pregnant, and controlling pregnancy ...
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
New report: disability representation remains one of Hollywood’s clearest opportunities. Characters with disabilities held only 2.8% of speaking roles in 2025, and nearly half of the year’s top films did not feature a single character with a disability aii.annenberg.usc.edu/all-reports/...
aii.annenberg.usc.edu
All Reports
A research brief on gender, race/ethnicity, and age among leading characters in the 100 top films each year from 2007 to 2025.
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
New paper from @bethlhoffman.bsky.social & me using YouTube comments to analyze how people respond to abortion storylines I was surprised by how much people engaged in meaningful discussions, especially when they roasted shows for being unrealistic 😅 www.frontiersin.org/journals/com...
frontiersin.org
Frontiers | “Have the writers actually read abortion law?”: using YouTube comments to explore audience responses to entertainment TV abortion plotlines
IntroductionComment sections on social media websites such as YouTube provide a unique venue to observe contemporaneous audience interpretation and discussio...
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ANSIRH @ansirh.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Brittany Luse of @npr.org chats with Janet Goldwater, director of the documentary Hollywood Does Abortion, and ANSIRH's @stephherold.bsky.social to understand how Hollywood handles, or mishandles the topic of abortion. www.npr.org/2026/08/04/n...
npr.org
Abortion access is limited. Is Hollywood to blame? : It's Been a Minute
Have our favorite shows and movies shaped the way we think about abortion?Hollywood has a huge impact of how we understand abortion. It can drive a plot, like in Dirty Dancing, or inspire…
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
"Today, more Americans identify as pro-choice than they did before Dobbs. And, as we document in our book, more Americans are now taking absolutist positions. They support legal access to abortion in all or most cases and oppose government regulation altogether." theconversation.com/public-opini...
theconversation.com
Public opinion on abortion has shifted 4 years after Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade
More Americans now hold absolutist positions, supporting legal access to abortion in all or most cases and opposing government regulation altogether.
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
At Abortion Onscreen, we've tracked 35+ abortion plotlines so far this year, including: 📺 Diana on Tell Me Lies saying, “I am so excited to abort your baby” to her abusive ex-boyfriend. 📺 Blaire on #ted standing up to her anti-abortion family, plus Ted and John helping her pay for the abortion
A dark staticy image with a purple TV from the 90s, pink graffiti-style text says: ABORTION ON TV SO FAR IN 2026. A picture of Diana from the TV show Tell Me Lies (a young Black teen with a brown sweater on, holding a to-go coffee cup), with a pink call-out box with the name of the show, the episode ("I Don't Cry When I'm Sad Anymore") and a great line: "It's gonna be the highlight of my year, I am so excited to abort your baby." A picture of Blaire from the TV show Ted (a young white woman with a brown sweater on, staring out of the frame), with a pink call-out box with the name of the show, the episode ("Roe v Weed") and a great line: "My uterus is not a democracy." A picture of Santita from the TV show Santita (a mid-30s Latina in a wheelchair being pushed by a handsome Gael García Bernal in a busy market), with a pink call-out box with the name of the show, the episode ("Santita's Commandments") and a great line: "I'm sure this is a little scary. But you're in good hands. Everything's going to be fine, Eva. We're going to take good care of you."
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Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · 15/07/2026
📺️ In this @msmagazine.com op-ed, @stephherold.bsky.social (@ansirh.bsky.social) draws on her research to argue that television may be the best hope for spreading accurate information about abortion, and one that too often gets it wrong. 🔗 Read: msmagazine.com/2026/06/25/t...
msmagazine.com
TV Still Has a Lot to Learn About Abortion
Four years after <em>Dobbs</em>, television has become more willing to acknowledge the legal and political barriers to abortion care—but too often, it still reinforces harmful myths. While shows lik...
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Ms. Magazine @msmagazine.com · 26/06/2026
Research shows abortion storylines can shape public understanding, making accurate representation more important than ever.
msmagazine.com
TV Still Has a Lot to Learn About Abortion
Four years after <em>Dobbs</em>, television has become more willing to acknowledge the legal and political barriers to abortion care—but too often, it still reinforces harmful myths. While shows like…
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
The unfortunate irony of the post-Dobbs era is that it seems that television has become both more willing to name political barriers to abortion access while simultaneously promoting narratives that further stigmatize abortion. More from me in @msmagazine.com: msmagazine.com/2026/06/25/t...
msmagazine.com
TV Still Has a Lot to Learn About Abortion
Four years after <em>Dobbs</em>, television has become more willing to acknowledge the legal and political barriers to abortion care—but too often, it still reinforces harmful myths. While shows lik...
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Today is the 4th anniversary of the #Dobbs decision, which revoked federal protections for abortion. Has TV caught up w/a post-Dobbs reality? We find that abortion storylines increasingly depict barriers to care; an important shift, but TV still has a long way to go in representing abortion access.
An infographic with a blue background and several white boxes that look crinkly, as if they’re crumpled paper. The graphic reads: abortion on tv: before and after Dobbs and has two boxes with five before and after stats
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Latine immigrant representation on TV has fallen from 50% in 2020 to just 23% today. New research from Define American shows what's at stake when these stories disappear from the screen, and how we can change the narrative. bit.ly/changethenarrative2026 #ChangeTheNarrative
bit.ly
Change The Narrative, Change The World 2026 - Define American
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Totally surreal to watch Hollywood Does Abortion at the Tribeca Film Festival last week. It was a true honor to share abortion onscreen research & analysis with this exceptional documentary team. Congrats to the incredible filmmakers and crew! www.hollywooddoesabortion.com
Dark movie theater with a big screen that reads HOLLYWOOD DOES ABORTIONS IN WHITE LETTERSA photo of about 15 people on the red carpet at the Tribeca Film Festival
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Female Gaze: The Film Club @femalegazefilmpod.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Morgan spoke with Steph Herold, MPH, a subject matter expert featured in the documentary film, “Hollywood Does Abortion.” The film interrogates how abortion is depicted and discussed in film and on television. Episode available now! www.buzzsprout.com/1638073/epis...
Tribeca Film Festival 2026
Interview with Steph Herold, MPH, for “Hollywood Does Abortion”
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Katelyn Burns @katelynburns.com · 09/06/2026
hey just checking in on this again?
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Barnacle Goose ☸︎𑁍💨 @barnacle-goose.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Update: "mifepriston 50 mg is not suitable as a contraceptive. The study started on April 14, 2025 [&] revealed a higher number of positive pregnancy tests and pregnancies than expected. The percentage of ectopic pregnancies, in particular, gave cause for concern." www.gofundme.com/f/zxmvd-mife...
gofundme.com
Donate to Reclaim your rights! A New Post-Roe Strategy, organized by Rebecca Gomperts
On June th, 2026 Leiden University Medical Center has discontinued the W… Rebecca Gomperts needs your support for Reclaim your rights! A New Post-Roe Strategy
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Premiering today at the Tribeca Film Festival to a sold out (!!!) crowd - Hollywood Does Abortion! Thrilled to have played a small part in this excellent doc and can’t wait for everyone to see it. tribecafilm.com/films/hollyw...
tribecafilm.com
Hollywood Does Abortion | 2026 Tribeca Festival | Tribeca
Since the 1970s, depictions of abortion in film and television have both impacted and reflected shifting attitudes towards the procedure and those who choose it. In this incisive documentary, the purs...
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
This amazing documentary premieres at the Tribeca film festival in ONE WEEK! It is so cool to watch filmmakers take your research and craft it into an hour and a half of moving, hilarious, insightful analysis. Can’t wait for everyone to see it!
A poster for a documentary called Hollywood Does Abortion with six film/tv stills from various media: Dirty Dancing, BoJack Horseman, Juno, Scandal, Knocked Up etc
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
"A Judaism concerned only with survival eventually loses its soul. A Judaism concerned only with moral performance eventually loses its ability to survive. The challenge is holding both truths simultaneously." www.jta.org/2026/05/15/i...
jta.org
Israel can survive criticism. But can we survive silencing our moral responsibility in the face of moral inconsistency? - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Acknowledging that two things can be true at once is a Jewish value, writes a rabbi.
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
If all you knew about medication abortion (mifepristone + misoprostol or misprostol alone) you learned from TV, you’d know a whole lot of nothing because TV so rarely depicts this abortion method. Here’s why that’s a problem
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ANSIRH @ansirh.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Defending medication abortion through telehealth is critical to ensuring people can get the care they need, alongside protecting abortion clinics and advancing access to in-person abortion care. Learn more about our research, which shows medication abortion is safe. www.ansirh.org/research/she...
ansirh.org
Facts About Medication Abortion Care
Medication abortion involves taking two medications: mifepristone and misoprostol. Here’s a summary of research that shows medication abortion is safe, effective, and critical health care.
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ANSIRH @ansirh.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
People across the United States have turned to medication abortion through telehealth as a trusted, safe, and effective method of care. Even a temporary disruption of access to medication abortion will have massive implications. www.politico.com/news/2026/05...
politico.com
Appeals court approves sweeping abortion pill restrictions, teeing up SCOTUS showdown
The temporary ruling will curtail access nationwide to a drug used in more than two-thirds of abortions.
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
"AI-facilitated information searches are becoming part of how people navigate abortion in restrictive global majority settings," srh.bmj.com/content/earl...
Artificial intelligence pathways to abortion care: a regional analysis of ChatGPT referrals to Women on Web
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Bryce Covert @brycecovert.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Sixty-eight people killed by abortion bans after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade.
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
People had really interesting things to say about these shows: “I think it gave me peace and reassurance in my decision. I felt a lot of power in being able to choose what is best for myself and this clip solidified that for me and for the character.”
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
⭐️ New research from my team! ⭐️ What do people who’ve had abortions think about the abortion storylines we see on TV? www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
A square image with faded stills from TV shows with the text: ‘It made me feel compassion for her as if I was rewatching myself’: an exploratory study of how people who have had abortions respond to three contemporary television abortion plotlines
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
"Justice work that excludes Jews is not justice work at all; it is, instead, a perpetuation of the idea that in the face of hatred, Jews still don’t count." ejewishphilanthropy.com/even-when-ha...
ejewishphilanthropy.com
Even when hate goes viral, Jews still don’t count
Jews are imagined simultaneously as powerless and omnipotent; that paradox makes antisemitism harder for some progressives to name because it does not fit neatly into the oppression frameworks we have...
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 thank you @womenslawproject.bsky.social and everyone who made this happen!
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
"The similarities that arise from the areas of 'parental rights' and criminalization/state surveillance demonstrate that the overlap between attacks on abortion and gender-affirming care go much further than the overarching concept of attacks on bodily autonomy." www.thetaskforce.org/resources/ge...
thetaskforce.org
Attacks on Gender-Affirming Care & Abortion
This paper will explore the overlapping connection of these two realms when analyzing restrictions on both abortion and gender affirming care and how these strategies have fueled a growing surge of at...
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
I thought maybe I was too harsh but then I saw how anti abortion people are clocking this show as a win
Screen shot from anti abortion website that reads: Apple TV’s “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” admits abortion is terminating a life Screenshot from anti-abortion website praising the show as a pro-life victory
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Can we talk about #MargosGotMoneyTroubles and the (spoiler alert) averted abortion storyline because….you know I’ve got thoughts.
A still of two women on a couch: an older white mom and a young white woman laying her head in her lap with the text SPOILER ALERT: ABORTION ON MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES overlayed in white
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
I really don’t logically understand how every year on my kids’ birthdays my body freaks out - hips sore, uterus crampy. I know the body knows the score and all that but you’d think after 8+ years it would forget!
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
"Given the extent to which religion has been hijacked to tell a narrow story about abortion, documenting the stories of religious people having abortions offers a deep source of moral wisdom & an important corrective in public narratives about abortion." onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
“Me and God, We're Good”: Abortion Morality and Protestant Women Having Abortions in the South
This study examines how 84 Protestant women in the South understand the morality of their abortion decisions, offering a nuanced perspective on the complex relationship between religion and abortion ...
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
The vibe I bring to Friday night is Torah study in my Shane Hollander jersey #JewishLoons
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Did you know that a majority of TV and film viewers across ALL genres support legal abortion, and want to see more realistic abortion stories onscreen? We collaborated with @betterlifelab.bsky.social, exploring the ways abortion is depicted onscreen and the more complex stories audiences want.
newamerica.org
Putting Pregnancy, Abortion, and Care into Context on Screen
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Medication abortion can and should be provided over-the-counter. Research continues to find that it's safe, effective, & acceptable to patients. Bring on the abortion pill vending machines, please! jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com
The Growing Evidence Base for Over-the-Counter Medication Abortion
Medication abortion using mifepristone and misoprostol is a safe and highly effective regimen that now accounts for nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the US.1 As access to clinic-based abortion ca...
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
“The violence and messaging are targeting not just Jewish safety but Jewish citizenship. They send a message: No barricade will guarantee Jews their full and free exercise of rights as Americans…we fear they will next be deployed against other marginalized groups.” www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...
inquirer.com
If anti-Jewish hate goes unchecked, it will probably be deployed against other marginalized groups next | Opinion
Surging antisemitic animus ripples across our entire democracy.
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GLAAD @glaad.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
From GLAAD's Senior Director of Entertainment Research & Analysis: Outstanding LGBTQ stories are winning audiences and Hollywood is leaving money on the table. (via @thewrap.com)
thewrap.com
Outstanding LGBTQ Stories Are Winning Audiences — Hollywood Is Leaving Money on the Table | Guest Column
GLAAD's senior director of Entertainment Research & Analysis points to hits like "Heated Rivalry," "Stranger Things," "Pluribus" and more.
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Guttmacher @guttmacher.org · 24/03/2026
New data from our Monthly Abortion Provision Study show that there were 1,126,000 US clinician-provided abortions in 2025. While interstate travel for care decreased, abortion via telehealth to people in states with total bans increased significantly. Learn more: gu.tt/47Vm3R7
White and green text on a navy blue background reads, "Findings from our Monthly Abortion Provision Study: In 2025, there were 1,126,000 clinician-provided abortions in the United States."
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Usually when I ask people if they've ever seen a show with an abortion storyline, chances are they'll mention Olivia Pope on Scandal. So cool to hear Kerry Washington on Call Her Daddy talking about the experience of filming it, and her own abortion story too: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRn6...
youtube.com
Kerry Washington: Power, Perfection & Olivia Pope
YouTube video by Call Her Daddy
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
"My point is not that Jews deserve a unique exemption from political critique. It is that Jews should not be the exception to anti-racist principles." Thank you, @bulldogshadow.bsky.social erickward.substack.com/p/the-left-m...
erickward.substack.com
The Left Makes an Exception for "The Jews"
Why universal principles suddenly become negotiable when the subject turns to Zionism, Israel, and antisemitism
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Alleanna Harris @alleannaharris.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Dolores Huerta. 🫶🏾 (I originally did this illustration about seven years ago, but I recently updated it.) #illustration
Dolores Huerta. Illustration by Alleanna Harris.
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Jewish Council for Public Affairs @thejcpa.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Our response to the news from Temple Israel in Michigan:
JCPA Statement:

“While we continue to learn more about today’s attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, we should make no mistake: the Jewish community is living in an environment of real fear right now and each of these incidents only compound our concerns.

“We have become far too accustomed to the frantic calls and texts in the aftermath of news like this — checking in on loved ones and praying that injuries are limited.

“We appreciate the response of local, state, and federal authorities and synagogue security, and are grateful that nobody has been hurt at this time — but this should serve as yet another reminder that we need a whole-of-government and society response to address hate, violence, and extremism.

 “Our democracy is not truly inclusive unless Jews — and all communities — can live, pray, and work free from fear and violence. This moment demands real solidarity across communities to build a society in which all of us are truly safe.”
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
A majority of Americans continue to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, and in recent years, the public has become more likely to say obtaining an abortion in their area would be difficult. New from @pewresearch.org: www.pewresearch.org/politics/202...
pewresearch.org
Majority of Americans Continue to Say Abortion Should Be Legal in All or Most Cases | Pew Research Center
A 60% majority of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. This share is down slightly from the last few years.
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
WHY did over 20 police officers enter Philadelphia's first queer women's sports bar? My sister reports on this for @autostraddle.bsky.social: www.autostraddle.com/marshas-is-h...
autostraddle.com
Marsha’s Is Here To Stay
Philadelphia queer bar owner responds after alleged anonymous complaints prompt police inspection.
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
This is how we #celebrateabortionproviders at Abortion Onscreen - by sharing analysis of how tv has represented abortion provision across genres, and what we'd love to see more of on our shows. Sending love, strength, and appreciation to all abortion providers, from clinic staff to clinicians.
Light brown background with text about how medical dramas portray abortion providers, with three iPads that have images from three shows Light brown background with text about how historical dramas portray abortion providers, with two iPads with stills from two shows Light brown background with text about how comedies portray abortion providers, iPhones with three screen grabs of shows A list of what we’d like to see more of in terms of onscreen representation of abortion provision
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
"Every day since the Dobbs decision, pregnant people have undergone financially, physically, and psychologically strenuous journeys for basic health care." jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com
Seeking Abortion Care Across State Lines After the Dobbs Decision
This qualitative study investigates the experiences of people traveling from states with abortion restrictions or bans after the US Supreme Court Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision t...
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Steph Herold @stephherold.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
No kidding -- "Women in states with more abortion restrictions had more depression symptoms" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Restrictive abortion policy climate is associated with increased depression symptoms among women in the United States: Findings from a 25-year longitudinal study
To examine associations between state-level abortion restrictiveness and depression among female participants in a large, US sample surveyed from 1990…
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