The Anniversary That Demands Our Action: Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Reproductive Health Project eNews #52 ā August 16, 2025
Greetings from the Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Reproductive Health Project!
As we move into the last third of summer, we are now just days away from the 105th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, which prohibited the US and constituent states from denying citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex. The amendment effectively recognized womenās right to vote. Of course, we know well that even with the constitutional amendment in place, the expansion of the right to vote was largely limited to white women. Black women, Indigenous women, and Latina women (and Black men, whose right to vote was technically recognized in the 15th Amendment) were prevented from exercising their right to vote through combinations of discriminatory state laws, poll taxes, literacy tests, intimidation, and violence. It would be several more years and even decades before these barriers were reduced or removed through additional legislation, most significantly, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which declared racial discrimination in voting illegal.
Here we are in 2025 and we are witnessing a relentless rollback of legal protections for the universal right to vote. We must be clear in why this is: in the United States, we have not yet adequately addressed the reality that far too many white people are more allegiant to the ideology of white supremacy than to the vision of multi-racial democracy; far too many white people are more invested in maintaining their iron grip on the economic spoils of stolen wealth, stolen labor,andĀ stolen lives than in the promise of collective thriving through economic justice.
Weāve been thinking a lot recently about solidarity as the necessary practice of the intersectional movements for universal human rights, justice, and collective liberation. The Reproductive Justice Movement calls all of us to solidarity, but solidarity can only be authentic when we acknowledge that no oneās rights can be sacrificed for some dubious claim to a āgreater goodā (often patronizingly expressed as, “You’ll just have to wait your turnā). This is hardly a new notion. As far back as ancient scriptures, humans have understood that justice delayed is justice denied. In this month in which we recognize both the power of solidarity and our tendencies to fall far short of true solidarity, letās acknowledge that solidarity is something that we can recommit ourselves to every day.
As Martin Luther King Jr. said,
āWe areā caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garmentĀ of destiny.
Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectlyāĀ Ā
āWe must recognize that we canāt solve our problem now until there is a radical redistribution of economic and political powerā¦
this means a revolution of values and other things.
We must see now that the evils of racism, economic exploitation and militarism are all tied togetherā¦
you canāt really get rid of one without getting rid of the othersā¦ ā
Written by Araam Abboud, MS, Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Reproductive Health Project Intern
Abortion providers do more than deliver essential healthcareāthey advocate, educate, and push back against the stigma that surrounds their work. I had the honor of speaking to Dr.Kristyn Brandi, an OB-GYN and Complex Family Planning subspecialist, who has dedicated her career to ensuring patients receive compassionate, evidence-based care while also training the next generation of providers. In our conversation, she shares her journey into abortion care, the challenges sheās faced, and what keeps her going in a field that is as rewarding as it is demanding.
Araam: To start off, could you tell us a little bit about yourselfāwhere you’re from and what you do now?
Dr. Brandi: Sure! My name is Kristyn Brandi, and my pronouns are she/her/ella. I was born and raised in New Jersey, and I still live and provide clinical care here.
I’m an OB-GYN and a Complex Family Planning subspecialist. I also consider myself a reproductive justice and reproductive autonomy advocate, and I do research and work in educationāspecifically in training the next generation of abortion providers.
Araam: We love that! Iād love to hear about what first inspired you to become an abortion provider.
Dr. Brandi: Iāve always been interested in human rights and social justice, so I was drawn to abortion care as a concept, but I didnāt know much about it clinically or how it actually happened.
When I started medical school, I got involved with Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl and Medical Students for Choice, and I assumed that when I became a “serious doctor,” Iād have to set that aside. But then I found OB-GYN to be the perfect marriage of healthcare and social justice.
There was a specific moment that really solidified my decision. I remember working with a patient who was there for an abortion due to a fetal anomaly. She was devastatedāshe didnāt want to be there, but she knew this was the best decision for her and her child. And yet, the nurses barely wanted to be in the room with her. They didnāt want to talk to her because she was having an abortion.
It was awful. These were nurses I respected, people I knew provided excellent care
ābut in that moment, they let stigma override their compassion.Ā
I never wanted patients to feel ostracized or neglected like that. If someone needs care, they should be able to access it with dignity and respect. That experience shaped a lot of my work, especially in marginalized care, and abortion has always been central to that.
Araam: Wow. Did you feel like you had a lot of exposure to abortion care in medical school?
Dr. Brandi: I was lucky. My fourth-year elective let me shadow and actually perform a few first-trimester procedures, which was eye-opening and inspiring. After that, I was all inālike, sign me up, what do I need to do?
I was also fortunate to attend a residency program where abortion training was part of the core curriculum. That made all the difference. I know thatās not the case for many, so I recognize how lucky I was to have that exposure early on.
Araam: Has your perspective on abortion care changed over time?
Dr. Brandi: Not really, but my understanding of how institutions approach abortion care has evolved.
I did my medical school and residency in New Jersey, where we have relatively liberal laws. But even though abortion was legal, it wasnāt necessarily openly discussed. We provided care, but it was still hush-hush. No one really talked about it.
When I went to Boston for fellowship, I noticed a huge difference in the culture. There, we openly said the word abortion instead of using euphemisms like ātermination of pregnancy.ā There was no hesitation or discomfortāit was just part of normal healthcare, and that was refreshing.
Since then, Iāve worked in various spacesāacademic institutions, Planned Parenthoods, independent clinicsāand they all approach abortion differently. Even in supportive states, there are layers of stigma embedded in the system. And of course, Iāve done training in restricted states, where the challenges are even greater.
Araam: What are some of the biggest challenges youāve faced as an abortion provider?
Dr. Brandi: Legitimacy.
Abortion has long been ostracized in medicine. Before Roe, abortion was illegal, and providers were often depicted as shady, untrustworthy people. Those tropes never fully went away, and anti-choice rhetoric continues to push the idea that abortion doctors are greedy, unskilled, or bottom-of-the-class physicians.
Thatās simply not true. I trained extensively for this. I have the same credentials as anyone else in my field,
and I approach my work with the same compassion and commitment to patient autonomy.
I think all of us in medicine struggle with imposter syndrome to some degree, but for abortion providers, itās compounded by societal stigma. For a long time, I felt like I had to prove that I was a real doctor. But the truth is, not many OB-GYNs can perform second-trimester D&Es or provide complex abortion care.Ā
My expertise is valuable, and Iāve learned to wear that as a badge of honor.
Araam: Thatās such an important point. And your work is incredible. How do you maintain your emotional resilience?
Dr. Brandi: I remind myself that if I donāt do this, who will?
Every time I face challengesāwhether it’s systemic barriers, stigma, or personal doubts
āI think back to that patient no one wanted to care for. If I donāt provide this care, who will?
If we all gave up, there would be no resistance left.
I also try to focus on the wins. Even when things feel overwhelming, I remind myself that every patient I help, every trainee I support, every stigma I push back againstāit all matters.
Araam: What do you wish more people understood about abortion care and the providers who offer it?
Dr. Brandi: That abortion is normal.
People seeking abortions come from all walks of life. Thereās no single ātypeā of person who gets an abortion. Iāve provided care to people who say, āI donāt believe in abortion, but I need this.ā And my response is always: your abortion is just as valid as everyone elseās.
Abortion providers are also diverse. People have a specific image in their minds of who provides abortion care, but we donāt all fit that mold. Many of us are deeply connected to the communities we serve. We do this work because we believe in it. And letās be honestāthere are far more lucrative medical specialties.Ā
People who provide abortions do it because they care, not because itās easy or profitable.
Araam: What does Abortion Provider Appreciation Day mean to you?
Dr. Brandi: Itās complicated.
It actually falls on my birthday, which feels like a signāI was literally born to do this work.
But the day itself is rooted in tragedy. It marks the anniversary of the first abortion provider killed for doing this work. Thatās sobering. It reminds me how dangerous this job can be, how real the threats are.
At the same time, I love that people have reclaimed it as a celebrationāan opportunity to honor those who
have laid their lives on the line for this work, and to uplift the future generation of providers.
Araam: Speaking of the next generation, if you could leave one message for future abortion providers, what would it be?
Dr. Brandi: Donāt listen to the noise.
Thereās so much noise around abortion right nowāmisinformation, stigma, political attacks. Itās heavy. Even in personal conversations with friends and family, it can be exhausting.
But thatās not why youāre here. Youāre here because you believe in this work.
Focus on that. Keep pushing forward. The world needs you.
Araam: Thatās such a powerful message. Thank you so much for this conversation!
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