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2025 Reproductive Justice Conference

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2025 REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE CONFERENCE

RJC 2025 Theme - Southern Restrictions: Navigating Abortion Care and Access

The Duke Women’s Center 2025 conference theme was Southern Restrictions: Navigating Abortion Care and Access. View the program from the 2025 Reproductive Justice Conference that took place on Wednesday March 5, 2025, in Penn Pavilion to learn more about the amazing local and state activism work being done around preserving abortion care and access in the state. This year’s theme touches on many topics at the heart of reproductive justice conversations following the 2022 Supreme Court overturning of Dobbs v. Jackson. Panel topics include Legislator’s Take on NC Restrictions, Lived Experiences of the Ban and more. We will also be bringing in two excellent speakers: Planned Parenthood South Atlantic’s Chief Medical Officer Katherine Farris and SisterSong’s Georgia Coordinator Danielle Rodriguez.

For the full conference program, including a list of speakers and panelists, visit https://bit.ly/RJCprogram25. 

RJC 2025 was part of our 2025 Women's History Month celebrations. For more information about WHM 2025 and how we celebrated it, visit https://bit.ly/DukeWHM25. 

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a woman with bright green nails and a black headscarf sits with her hands clasped at a table watching attentively as someone speaks off camera to the left
a group of women of various heights stand around a red poster with the text "Southern Restrictions: Navigating Abortion Care and Access"
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In 2023, the General Assembly of North Carolina ratified Senate Bill 20 which changed abortion laws in the state. Below are some facts on the status of abortion in North Carolina, compiled by Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and Duke health providers. 

  • New legislation in NC restricts abortion after 12 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. 
  • There are exceptions allowed in cases of rape, incest, life-limiting fetal anomalies, or when the pregnant person’s life is at risk. 
  • Individuals seeking an abortion must attend an in-person counseling appointment at least 72 hours before the procedure. 
  • Minors under 18 require parental consent for an abortion, though a judicial bypass is available to override this requirement. 

Sources:

  • NC General Assembly Senate Bill 20 (2023) [link]

  • “NC Abortion FAQs,”Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, (n.d.) [link]

Below are a selection of facts about abortion care and access in North Carolina and the United States. These facts have been curated from a variety of sources, including Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, the Pew Research Center, and more. Full sources are linked below.

  • There are two types of abortion procedures: medication and surgical. The majority of abortions in the US are medication-based, up to 56% as of 2021. 
  • Abortions are a relatively commonplace procedure: nearly one in four women in the US (around 24%) will have an abortion by age 45. 
  • Nearly half of all abortions take place in populations below the federal poverty level. 
  • Abortions are much safer than pregnancy: there are 6 abortion deaths per 100,000 vs 330 pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000. 

Sources:

  • “NC Abortion FAQs,”Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, (n.d.) [link]
  • “Abortion Is a Common Experience for U.S. Women, Despite Declines in Rates,” Guttmacher Institute (October 2017) [link]
  • “FAQs,” Abortion Care Today (n.d.) [link]

The effects of abortion bans stretch far beyond access to the service and care. In states with abortion bans, pregnant people see worse health outcomes, including higher costs and increased rink of health complications like infection, organ failure, and loss of reproductive ability. Abortion bans also don’t prevent abortions, they just make the outcomes worse for those who seek them out in under-the-table or less reputable medical environments. Barriers to abortion also exacerbate existing societal disparities, increasing social inequities that exist among different socioeconomic and racial populations. There are also mental health impacts for those who are denied abortions, including increased chance of depression and anxiety. 

Beyond just access to care, abortion bans lead to fewer medical services available for all women and birthing people. Doctors may become reluctant to practice in places with restrictive bans, leading to health care deserts where there are not enough doctors to support the population base. 

For more info on why abortions matter and why you should care, visit Abortion Care Today to hear the stories of providers and community members impacted by the North Carolina restrictions. 

Sources: 

  • “FAQs,” Abortion Care Today (n.d.) [link]
  • “Abortion Access Fact Sheet,” The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (n.d.) [link]

The Women's Center maintains a running list of resources related to gender equity, reproductive justice, and more! Visit https://students.duke.edu/belonging/icr/wc/resources-for-women/ to see the full list of resources and learn how to access them. Abortion care specific resources can be found listed on the conference program, at https://bit.ly/RJC25program. 

If you have a resource you’d like to submit, email womenctr@duke.edu with the subject “WHM Resources.”

Many thanks to the 2025 Reproductive Justice Planning Committee members without which this conference would not be possible: Vivian Apple. Jaden Redfern, Jinny Guo, Sydney Okeke, Lauren Prox, Alyssa Yang, Sophie Lair, Shontierra Anderson, Oana Djibom, Sara Metzger, Georgina Espinoza, Alexandra Himmel, Shannon Allison, Rachel Kurapati, Ella Maroni, Mariam Dohadwala, Sabrina Collias, Chaney Johnson, Pearl Teiko, Eileen Ma, Lauren Anderson, Alicia Yang, Melanie Shao, Maddie Goldner, Bella Naspinski, and Nicole Horton.

Thanks also to our co-sponsor, the Duke Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies Department, who helped fund the conference and bring it into being. 

Do you want to be a part of next year's RJC? We are currently accepting applications for Planning Committee members and Event Partners. Planning Committee members determine the shape of the conference, identifying panelist questions, moderating group discussions, and serving as volunteers the day of. Event Partners help make the whole day happen. Email lydia.mcinnes@duke.edu with the subject line “RJC Involvement" for more info.