“For the next fifty years, thinking about abortion as an essential human right is critical. The next chapter has to be a lot more complex than Constitutional amendments. We have to think about how we can make healthcare spaces and systems truly healing, justice-centered, and equitable.”
-Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, episode 314 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
On January 22nd, 1973, the Supreme Court passed Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision preserving the right to abortion across the country. Today, we sit with Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, a board-certified OB/GYN, who’d been providing abortions for over a decade—until last summer, when the protection was repealed.
We talk about the conditions Dr. Moayedi faces as a physician in Texas (5:29), the critical reality and travel faced by patients in states where the procedure has been outlawed (13:29), and how she works to create a more nurturing and equitable space for people of color in prenatal care (19:15).
On the back-half, we walk through her remarkable story—from her early years in residency (23:43), to her tireless work throughout the pandemic (32:56), to this very moment where, in Texas, her job has become illegal to perform (37:41). As we leave, Dr. Moayedi shares her vision for the future of healthcare (41:28).
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Show-notes:
- To learn more about Dr. Moayedi’s work, visit Pegasus Health Justice Center.
- Find additional resources on her Linktree.
- Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
- To support the fight for reproductive justice, donate to abortion funds by state, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and independent clinics nationwide.
- For more conversations, hear our talks with Gloria Steinem, Beto O’Rourke, Margaret Atwood, Stacey Abrams, Dr. James Whitfield, Noam Chomsky, and Anita Hill.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
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Original illustration by Krishna Shenoi.
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