By Susannah Baruch
Concerned about privacy protections for pregnancy- and abortion-related health data in the post-Dobbs environment?
The film Preconceived, premiering at SXSW this week, shines a bright light on anti-abortion “Crisis Pregnancy Centers” (CPCs), including their disturbing take on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
By James René Jolin and Susannah Baruch
On July 13, 2023, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Opill (norgestrel) as the first daily oral contraceptive available for non-prescription use in the U.S. While the timeline for availability and price of Opill will ultimately be set by its manufacturer, Perrigo, this recent move represents a significant step forward in improving access to contraceptive health care. Indeed, shortly after Opill’s approval, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists described the FDA’s decision as “a critically important advancement in the accessibility of reproductive health care.”
In response to this development, Petrie-Flom Center intern James René Jolin and Executive Director Susannah Baruch sat down to discuss its legal, regulatory, and public health implications. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
On June 20th, the Petrie-Flom Center welcomed Susannah Baruch on board as its new Executive Director.
Susannah comes to the Petrie-Flom Center with expertise in reproductive health law policy, genetics, and genomics, and a wealth of experience in nonprofits, academia, and government. We asked Susannah to share a bit about herself and her past work by way of introduction to Bill of Health’s readers.
The following interview has been edited and condensed.