Labor intensive fight: The state of abortion and reproductive health in Missouri (Edited)
For decades, embattled demonstrations have lined the Providence Road sidewalk outside the Planned Parenthood Columbia Health Center. In April, a federal judge granted an injunction that overturned two state abortion restrictions, and soon, abortions will resume in Columbia. However, a woman's access to affordable reproductive health care is a far broader, more nuanced issue than the right, or not, to have an abortion. There are 3 million women in Missouri whose well-being hinges on our ability to understand why disagreeing neighbors shout alongside a road named for God himself. We challenged 12 reporters to examine the state of women's reproductive health in Missouri. What follows is their experience — in church pews, along the highway, in the homes and businesses of the people affected most — and hopefully, a mutual understanding.
