Emily Boevers is an OB-GYN practicing in Iowa. She lives in Waverly with her husband and children. This essay first appeared on the website of the Iowa Coalition for Reproductive Freedom.

On June 28 of last year, when the Iowa Supreme Court reversed and remanded the prior permanent injunction on a near-total ban on pregnancy termination, the majority utilized the rational basis test, which means the fact that this law inflicts harm on individual rights doesn’t matter. The court held the law is constitutional if it is rationally related to a legitimate government interest.

And so, when the law went into effect on July 29, 2024, women in Iowa were taken back in time, relegated to lesser citizens by the state, and placed squarely behind men and fetuses in their rights.

Now, only two of five clinics previously providing abortion in Iowa remain open for care. Of note, this is a barrier to women, particularly low-resourced women, receiving cancer screenings, contraception, treatment for infections, and a safe place to seek information, not only abortion care. Very pro-life, and especially poignant to reduce care for women that are already struggling to make ends meet.

Dr. Emily Boevers is a OB-GYN physician practicing primarily in Waverly, Iowa. When not taking care of patients she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. This piece was first published in the Waverly newspapers.

This coming week, the seven justices of the Iowa Supreme Court will issue a ruling in the misnamed “Fetal Heartbeat” ban. This legislation is the third iteration forced through the Iowa legislature in six years. It seeks to ban abortion at the instance of embryonic cardiac impulse at six weeks, well before most women know they are pregnant. The Supreme Court may allow the state to enforce the ban or leave the law blocked while litigation proceeds. Either way, a large portion of the electorate will be anguished, disappointed, or even angry.

I cannot say which way the justices will decide. So instead, I will paint a picture of two possible futures for my patients and for myself as a woman’s health physician (an obstetrician gynecologist). I care for women before, during and after pregnancy.

Dr. Emily Boevers is a Ob-Gyn physician practicing primarily in Waverly, Iowa. When not taking care of patients she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children.

Labor Day: a celebration of American ingenuity, prosperity and economic achievements. Like Independence Day, this holiday requires ongoing recognition and defense of the important role that citizens play in its origins. From its inception as a labor union holiday to its current position as a day for the working-class people of America, this is a day for American workers to be recognized for the sweat and stress they contribute to the modern economy.

It is estimated that the women of America supply $21 billion per day to the US economy, not including unpaid domestic labor. Part of economic wellness is also a strong supply of the next generation of skilled workers. As an expert in maternal health, I cannot help but wonder at the limited recognition of women’s complex role in this measure.