title: Eggs and Abortion: "Women-Protective" Language Used by Opponents in Legislative Debates over Reproductive Health.
abstract: In this paper we undertake an examination of the presence of similar "women-protective" discourses in policy debates occurring over two bills on reproductive-related topics considered during the 2013 California legislature session. The first bill (AB154), now signed into law, allows nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants to perform first-trimester aspiration abortions. The second bill (AB926), had it passed, would remove the prohibition on paying women for providing eggs to be used for research purposes. Using frame analysis we find evidence of similar protective arguments by opponents of both bills, although these advocates do not share ideological positions on abortion rights or women's autonomy. In the case of AB154, anti-abortion advocates use language and frames that call for protecting the health of women against the imputed interests of the "abortion industry." In the case of AB926, feminists and pro-choice advocates evoke similar frameworks for the protection of women against the interests of the "medical research industry." Both sides argue for the "protection of women," from opposing positions on the rights and autonomy of women in relationship to reproductive freedom.
authors.affiliation: Social science researcher at the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) program and Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, both at the University of California, San Francisco. She earned her master's and doctoral degrees in sociology at the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Jesudason is currently the Director of CoreAlign, a program that brings together scholars, advocates and service providers to develop a 30-year strategy for the reproductive rights movement.
authors.forename: Sujatha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jesudason
authors.affiliation: Director of the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) program and Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, both at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). ANSIRH's mission is to ensure that reproductive health care and policy are grounded in evidence. She has a master's degree in public administration with an emphasis in health care from Missouri Southern University and a doctoral degree in medical sociology from UCSF. Dr. Weitz currently directs the domestic funding program of a large private foundation.
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weitz
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D033041:Embryo Research / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005260:Female; D019513:Feminism; D006801:Humans; D011057:Politics; D011247:Pregnancy; D060728:Reproductive Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014933:Women's Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*