Advocacy Update
MAY 2023
By Joanna Brown, MD, MPH, Chair, SAHM Advocacy Committee
Laura K. Grubb, MD, MPH, Past-Chair, SAHM Advocacy Committee
and Abigail English, JD, SAHM Senior Policy Fellow
As always, SAHM members and SAHM as an organization are engaged in wide-ranging advocacy on behalf of adolescents and young adults (AYAs). In recent months, intense concern has focused on policies limiting AYA’s access to gender-affirming care, abortion and contraception; threats of violence against clinicians; gun violence; detention of immigrant families; and many other critical issues.
Gender-affirming Care
SAHM recently signed onto two “friend of the court” (amicus curiae) briefs in Florida gender-affirming care cases: Dekker v. Weida (ban on use of Medicaid funds for gender-affirming care for any age) and Doe v. Lapado (Board of Medicine/Board of Osteopathic Medicine regulation banning gender-affirming care for minors). SAHM is also participating in amicus briefs in several other lawsuits—Alabama, Arkansas and Texas—challenging bans or limitations on gender-affirming care for adolescents.
SAHM also issued a SAHM Statement about the Politicization of Gender-Affirming Care and Threats of Violence Against Clinicians in which it “opposes discriminatory legislation prohibiting transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adolescents and young adults (AYAs) and their families, from receiving needed care, and condemns harassment of clinicians, programs, and institutions.”
Abortion
In Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine vs. FDA, SAHM joined multiple medical societies in an amicus brief to preserve mifepristone access consistent with FDA conditions of use. This case is on appeal in the 5th Circuit from the decision of a federal district court in Texas, with mifepristone access currently maintained by a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Contraception
In Deanda vs. Becerra, a federal district court judge in Texas ruled that the Title X regulation allowing adolescent minors to obtain confidential contraception violates the constitutional rights of parents. This case has been appealed to the 5th Circuit and SAHM joined the AAP, AMA and ACOG, in an amicus brief in support of the HHS defendants.
In April 2023, SAHM joined with numerous medical, public health and legal advocacy organizations in submitting comments to the federal HHS, Labor, and Treasury Departments on a proposed regulation under the Affordable Care Act to rescind the exemption from providing contraceptive coverage based on an employer’s moral objection and to create an alternative pathway for enrollees whose access to coverage would be limited by an employer’s religious exemption.
In November 2022, several members of the SAHM Reproductive Health Committee submitted written testimony on behalf of SAHM to the FDA in support of the application from HRA Pharma for a “prescription-to-OTC switch” for the contraceptive Norgestrel 0.075mg (Opill). In early May 2023, the committee continued this effort by presenting oral testimony during the Open Public Hearing of the FDA Advisory Committee. SAHM was part of a line-up of 37 speakers, of whom 35 spoke in strong support of the proposal. The Advisory Committee members included SAHM’s own Leslie Walker-Harding, MD, and Elise Berlan, MD. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Advisory Committee voted unanimously in support of a recommendation to the FDA for approval of OTC status for this oral contraceptive.
Firearms and Democracy
SAHM issued a SAHM Statement About the Firearm Injury Prevention Efforts of Tennessee State Representatives in which it lauds the relentless efforts of Tennessee State Representatives Justin Jones, Justin J. Pearson and Gloria Johnson to prioritize the enactment of evidence-based firearm injury prevention legislation, highlights the value of the inclusion of young people from marginalized communities in the legislative process, and condemns the expulsion of Reps. Jones and Pearson from the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Sign-on letters
Along with its other advocacy work SAHM joined numerous other medical, public health and legal advocacy organizations in signing onto letters opposing detention of immigrant families and supporting funding for gun violence prevention research and for the Office of Adolescent Health.
Advocacy Resources
In addition to the advocacy support SAHM has provided, excellent resources are available through the state chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) chapters, each of which has an executive director who is versed on state advocacy activities, legislative affairs and ongoing lawsuits. Although many SAHM members are not AAP members, SAHM does partner with AAP for many advocacy activities. Contact information for AAP state chapter can be found at: Chapter Websites (aap.org). We also encourage SAHM members to reach out to their SAHM regional chapters to learn about ongoing advocacy efforts.
Our future advocacy to protect and promote the health and well-being of AYAs will depend, as it always has, on the enthusiasm, commitment, dedication, creativity, and perseverance of SAHM members. The Advocacy Committee is ready to help. We would love to work with you.
Here are the Advocacy Team members at SAHM:
Advocacy Committee
- Joanna Brown – Chair
- Saira Ahmed
- Carolyn Curry
- Shelby Davies
- Serwa Ertl
- Sarah Green
- Davia Loren
- Gregg Montalto
- Erik Su
- Loren Wozniak
Advocacy Committee Consultants
- Jesse Barondeau
- Paula Cody
- Abigail English
- Laura Grubb
- Andrea Hoopes
- Karen Johnson
- Lisa Mihaly
- Sarah Nathan
- Ashley Pollicelli
- Maria Rahmandar
- Jack Rusley
- John Santelli
- Eve Shapiro
- Margaret Stager
- Andrea Swartzendruber
- Kathleen Tebb
- Iniobong Udo
- Ariel White
Advocacy Special Interest Group leaders
Jennifer Morone, Laura Grubb
Senior Policy Fellow:
Abigail English, JD
Again, thank you for all you do!
Joanna Brown, MD, MPH
Laura K. Grubb, MD, MPH
Abigail English, JD
