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Abortion doctor contemplates post-Roe future

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Mississippi abortion doctor contemplates post-Roe future

When the ended the constitutional right to abortion in the United States, Dr. Cheryl Hamlin was at her computer researching ways to expand access to medication abortion in a post-Roe country.

Since 2017, the Boston-based OB-GYN has traveled to Mississippi once a month to abortions at the state's only abortion clinic, the Women's Organization, also known as the Pink House. The clinic is part of the case at the center of the Supreme Court's ruling Friday morning. 

“I didn't expect it today, and I guess I was still holding out hope, so now we can let that go I guess,” she told .

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Abortion rights advocates in Mississippi expect that medication that can end a pregnancy under 11 weeks will become the cheapest and most accessible form of the procedure in the state. Websites like Plan C provide information about online pharmacies that can ship the pills, and Austria-based Aid Access provides prescriptions for people living anywhere in the United States, Mississippi. 

Mississippi's trigger ban applies to medication abortion, but it's not clear how the state could stop the flow of pills through the mail given that pharmacies and providers can be based overseas and following their own country's laws. Hamlin hopes to get involved in efforts to people get the pills.

“That's kind of what I was in the middle of when I heard the , so I guess I'll go back to that,” she said.

During her most recent shift in Jackson, in early June, Hamlin knew she might never work at the Pink House again. But when she asked the clinic director Shannon Brewer if she ought to make plans to return in July, Brewer said yes, so Hamlin booked another ticket just in case Roe stood.

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Now, she's hoping to travel to Las Cruces, New Mexico, instead. The Pink House's out-of-state doctors, leadership and some staff are planning to move there to open a new clinic they're calling Pink House West, about an hour from El Paso. 

When she began working in Mississippi, Hamlin was struck by how lack of access to health care shaped her patients' trajectories to the clinic. Maybe they didn't have a regular OB-GYN, or weren't sure how to get contraceptives without health insurance. 

During her recent shifts in Jackson, she had been careful to explain that Roe could soon be overturned, forcing the Pink House to close. But many people who came to the clinic didn't know that. 

Now, Hamlin was afraid for the women of Mississippi. 

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“They'll either have to be under the radar and go to another state or they'll have to somehow get pills,” she said. “Sometimes they'll need medical care but they'll be afraid to get it. Some people won't be able to get access. They'll continue a pregnancy that they won't be able to afford or physically continue. And I have no doubt that women miscarriages, and it's going to be mostly poor and women of color, are going to be scrutinized for their miscarriages, because there's no way to tell the difference.”

The doctor said she hopes the ruling will energize supporters of abortion rights. She wants to see the right to abortion restored across the country.

“It took them 50 years to overturn it,” she said. “I don't want it to take 50 years again, because I won't be alive.” 

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Mississippi News

Local addiction treatment center to host field day promoting recovery

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www.wcbi.com – Rosalyn Freeman – 2023-09-22 19:27:35

SUMMARY: Pines and Cady Hill Recovery Center, a drug and alcohol treatment facility in Columbus, Mississippi, is hosting a Field Day to promote recovery and fun. The event, called the “Recovery ,” aims to build a bridge between individuals struggling with addiction and their families. The center hopes the event will show that it is possible to have fun while being sober. The event will also raise funds for the center's clients, who rely on sponsorships and community aid during their recovery . The activities will include an egg toss, three-legged race, tug of war, and limbo.

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Mississippi News

Houston community gears up for 42nd Flywheel Festival

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www.wcbi.com – Allie Martin – 2023-09-22 19:24:56

SUMMARY: The 42nd Fall Flywheel in Houston, Mississippi is attracting fans of antiques, tractors, and engines. The festival provides an to learn about flywheels and their role in American engines. Clarke Easterling, owner of Windy Hill Foundry, is showcasing his work and hoping to make sales. Admission to the festival is , but there is plenty of food and antiques to buy. The festival also includes activities for kids, arts and crafts, skillet toss, and two anvil shoots. It is a popular for the community and a for Houston to attract new visitors.

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Mostly dry weekend, rain chance returns Monday – Home – WCBI TV

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www.wcbi.com – Owen Basselman – 2023-09-22 18:54:11

SUMMARY: The weather in Columbus, Mississippi will be warm and sunny on Saturday before clouds and a of a stray shower on Sunday. Rain chances will continue into the first half of the . The region is in need of rain as 98% of Mississippi is experiencing some form of drought. Temperatures will stay in the low- to mid-80s due to the clouds and rain.

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