The Hippocratic Oath remains an important standard of a physician’s moral responsibility. But, since the reversal of Roe v Wade, new laws and abortion restrictions are making doctors violate the principles within the Oath, forcing them into hypocritical acts.

•  The Hippocratic Oath is the oldest statement of medical ethics known to history 

• It has been attributed to the Greek doctor, Hippocrates 

• The original Oath was believed to have been written between the 5^th and 3^rd centuries BC  

• It established a set of medical ethics that formed the basis of the modern Oath in use today 

• The Oath is considered a rite of passage at most medical school graduation ceremonies  

• Read the Hippocratic Oath

• Learn about the background and history of the Oath

• See what some doctors today think about the Oath

In the landmark American legal case Roe v Wade, “Roe” refers to the plaintiff Jane Roe, the pseudonym for the woman who originally sought the abortion: Norma McCorvey. This “Easter Egg” aims to honor her forgotten story and the 1973 US Supreme Court ruling that individual state laws banning abortion were unconstitutional. 

• Read the forgotten story of Jane Roe

• Learn how the real Jane Roe shaped the abortion wars

• Explore the case that established the legal right to abortion 

A law preventing patients from accessing abortions after six weeks of pregnancy was recently upheld by the Supreme Court, imposing one of the most extreme abortion bans this country has ever seen. This “fetal heartbeat bill” is based on inaccurate biology. The heart is not truly an anatomical heart with four chambers until around 17 to 20 weeks. The “heartbeat” heard on ultrasounds is merely an electrical pulse from the embryo. Ultimately, six weeks is a limited window to even affirm pregnancy, let alone schedule and have an abortion.

• This ban limits abortion care to only four weeks after conception—and realistically, only one week from when a person could find out they are pregnant

• Many doctors oppose “heartbeat laws,” confirming that people are often unaware they’re pregnant before the six-week mark from their last period

• Some complications that could threaten a pregnant person’s health cannot be detected until later in pregnancy—so these bans could lead to serious issues and even mortality 

• Understanding the absurd pregnancy math behind the “6-week” abortion ban

• Patient past 6 weeks? Medication abortion may be an option for them

• More about bans on abortions at 6 weeks

• How to navigate 6-week abortion bans 

Confidentiality and privacy are compromised now more than ever by new anti-abortion laws. For pregnant people seeking an abortion, the best way forward is to be judicious about what information you disclose in an emergency room or waiting room setting, where people other than your doctor are present. For healthcare providers, it’s important to ensure discretion during confidential conversations with patients, for example, by keeping the exam 1 on 1 and not reporting if you don’t have to. Reporting a patient, even with the hope of connecting them to resources, often leads to more harm.

• The most common cause of the criminalization of pregnant people is unnecessary reports to law enforcement or child protective services by healthcare providers

• Healthcare providers are not legally required to speak to the police or to child protective caseworkers when a patient comes in seeking an abortion 

• Check your reporting rights and responsibilities as a healthcare provider

• Learn about the changing legal landscape for reporting conversations

• Using HIPAA to protect patient confidentiality and fight abortion criminalization 

• Understanding HIPAA privacy and which disclosures are (and are not) required by law

• HIPAA update protects privacy of reproductive health information

In today’s world, physicians are terrified that if they provide an abortion, they may lose their medical license, be sued, or worst case, be charged with a felony. In many states, the risk to doctors is so high they are hesitant to provide even life-saving abortion care unless the threat to life is imminent. In this scene, the Hippocratic Oath on the office wall emphasizes the conflict between the doctor’s desire to provide the care his patient desperately needs and the fact that fear of prosecution makes him deny that care.

• Navigating the 'impossible choice' abortion restrictions create for healthcare providers

• Who decides when a patient qualifies for an abortion ban exception?

• Planned Parenthood's step-by-step guide to getting an abortion

• Check the abortion laws and bans in your state

With many states fining or imprisoning abortion providers, essential reproductive care truly has become a crime. At this time, there are no abortion laws in effect that allow a pregnant person to be prosecuted, but some people who have ended their own pregnancy have been charged with “fetal homicide.” In a few states, abortion bans can be enforced through private citizens incentivized with substantial monetary rewards to report or even sue providers and anyone suspected of helping a woman obtain an abortion. 

• Abortions are currently banned or restricted in half of the country—making providing or seeking them punishable by law

• On the positive side, many states are exploring ways to protect abortion access by passing “shield laws” that provide protection, amending state constitutions, and more

• See where abortion access is protected

• Shield laws allow abortion providers to treat out-of-state patients

• Learn where your state stands with abortion bans and restrictions

• Need to travel out of state for an abortion? The Constitution protects you

Since the decision overturning Roe v Wade, Google search histories have been used to prosecute women for their reproductive health choices. In some instances, police have made requests for social media user data to aid prosecution after someone has sought an abortion. Social apps like Facebook can be required to turn over user chat logs. One legal expert said platforms may cooperate with police even if they’re not legally required to. This is making it hard for doctors and the patients who depend on them to navigate reproductive health privately and safely.

• Social media companies have little to no incentive to protect privacy—they get thousands of requests a year from law enforcement to turn over data and it’s easier to comply than fight it in court

• You can control your digital footprint by taking certain privacy measures

• Individuals seeking abortion information are advised to turn on incognito browsing and turn off location tracking. Location can be used to build a case in court

• Lawmakers are working hard to protect abortion data privacy

• What digital information could prosecutors actually use in abortion-related cases?

• Seeking an abortion? Here’s how to avoid leaving a digital trail

• How to keep the healthcare needs of your private parts private

Doctors may be accidentally contributing to the prosecution of patients seeking abortions. How? Simply by entering their post-visit notes. HIPAA is no longer 100% secure protection for patients. Warrants, court orders, or subpoenas can require a clinic to release medical records. Not just patients, but providers as well are legally vulnerable through health-related data, compromising a doctor’s oath to protect the privacy of their patients.

• Routine post-consultation notes now put doctors in an impossible situation: follow medical ethics and standard practice, or risk putting your patients at risk of prosecution

• HIPAA was put in place to protect doctor/patient confidentiality. Rule changes that went into effect in 2002 significantly weakened those protections

• Learn how new HIPPA rules offer greater patient protection

• HIPAA Privacy Rule 101

• New HIPAA rule protects privacy for women who get abortions

• Read about HIPAA guidance in a post Roe world

• Health privacy and your reproductive decision-making

Reproductive health data, including texts and web searches, may be used as evidence by prosecutors against women seeking to end their pregnancies. Caution should be used with Facebook messages, as authorities can gain access to them.

• Communication apps that use end-to-end message encryption like Signal can help keep messages private

• HIPAA rules only apply to data transmitted or maintained by covered entities, like medical providers and health plans, not personal devices

• Data stored in personal devices, including things like period tracker apps, is not protected information

• A full guide to abortion privacy from the Digital Defense Fund

• Get tips on how to keep your digital activity private

• See guidance from US Dept of Health and Human Services on health information privacy

The financial and emotional burden of out-of-state travel is challenging to afford and to arrange. It is impossible for some low-income people who can’t afford it or can’t get time off work, forcing these patients to stay pregnant or self-manage their abortions. Those who can make the costly decision to travel hundreds if not thousands of miles to get the healthcare they need face greater emotional burdens heaped on top of the abortion itself.

• Nearly one in five patients are now traveling out of state for abortion care

• If you must travel for an abortion, understand the facts (such as waiting periods and parental consent) around states where abortion is legal when making plans

• There are resources that provide help to people who can’t afford abortion care. See “what to do” for suggestions

• Policy analysis regarding out of state abortions

• Detailed map of abortion limits by state

• Find an abortion clinic nearest to you

• If you need financial assistance, there are funds that can help

Forcing doctors to say no to reproductive healthcare means forcing people to seek care out of state. Cruel and heartless anti-abortion groups are locating routes of out-of-state abortion seekers and plastering them with propaganda to guilt-trip already distraught women along the way. This hateful, intentionally traumatizing “tactic” only adds more evidence that anti-abortion groups care more about their political agenda than women or families. Stay true to yourself and know that these messages come from a place of ill intent.

• Be aware when traveling that you may encounter these billboards on highways to abortion-legal states

• Emotional effects of a denied abortion include stress, anxiety, and depression. In fact, one study found people who were denied an abortion experience more anxiety symptoms and stress, lower self-esteem, and lower life satisfaction than those who received one

• Research shows restricting access to abortion linked to mental health issues

• Strategies for combatting abortion disinformation in the post-Roe era

• See these resources offering emotional support for the end of pregnancy

• Visit Exhale, a group dedicated to after-abortion support

• How one group is turning the tables with supportive messages

One out of every five patients are now being forced to travel across state lines to access abortion care, but not everyone has the luxury to take time off work.​ This can lead to financial instability.​ Most abortion patients say that they cannot afford a child, and that having a baby would interfere with work, school, or ability to care for their other children. Reinstating abortion access would enable many women to finish school, increase their earning potential, and allow them to plan and balance their families and careers.​

• Women who are denied abortions face greater impact than those who are not denied, including economic hardships, more frequent bankruptcies, and evictions

• 75% of women who seek abortions are low income

• There are resources that provide help to people who can’t afford abortion care. See “what to do” for suggestions

• What are abortion funds, and how can they help pay for an abortion?

• A listing of abortion funds and the steps to take to get financial assistance

• The Brigid Alliance helps with travel, food, lodging, child care, and other abortion logistics