In another assault on reproductive rights by the Trump administration, the US Department of Veterans Affairs sent out a memo on Monday announcing that it will no longer provide abortion or abortion counseling.
This change stems from a Department of Justice legal opinion on December 18 that reinstated exclusions on abortions and abortion counseling that the Biden administration had removed in 2022. That Biden-era ruling expanded abortion access for veterans in cases of rape, incest, or threats to life and health, even in states with bans.
“Pregnant Veterans and VA beneficiaries deserve to have access to world-class reproductive care when they need it most,” Denis McDonough, Biden’s Secretary of Veterans Affairs, said in 2022, calling it “a patient safety decision.”
The new directive, obtained by Mother Jones, states that it won’t prohibit care to “pregnant women in life-threatening circumstances, including treatment for ectopic pregnancies or miscarriages.” However, these exceptions often do not work. According to Jessica Valenti, a writer on feminism and politics, exceptions “are deliberately crafted to be impossible to use” and only exist “to make Republicans seem a little less punishing.”
Report to the ER and complain of 10/10 pain coming from your uterus the next time you menstruate. Then next month do it again. After about 6 months, talk to your OB and explain how it’s getting worse, completely stops you from normal daily activities at its peak, and is causing you to become depressed and anxious.
Also bitch about it in other unrelated appointments. Seeing ortho about your back? “My pain today is 10/10, but only in my uterus. My back is the usual 4.”
Throughout, there will be assessments where they’ll inevitably find nothing - keep complaining. Pain can be paradoxical - eventually they’ll decide it needs to come out.
It’s stupid and tedious, but if you need to lie to get health care, then lie.
The other reason for the surgery was actually to look for reasons I’m in pain, like adhesions or other evidence of endometriosis. I have nexplanon and haven’t had a period in several years, yet still have cyclical intense pain
My ob ordered an mri after we learned the surgery was canceled, maybe that will give us the evidence we need to move forward with surgery again