NEW YORK — Today, National Advocates for Pregnant Women announced its name change to Pregnancy Justice. The new name, along with a new look, reflects our values and longstanding fight to defend the rights of all people with the capacity for pregnancy against criminalization.

“We’ve long known that this is the path forward, and we’re certain now is the right time. With the protections of Roe gone, the threat of increased pregnancy-related criminalization looms large for more poor people and people of color,” said Acting Executive Director Dana Sussman. “We lost our fundamental right to abortion, contraception is at risk, and LGBTQ+ rights are under attack. It’s crucial that we work across movements, build deeper alliances, and continue to be led by the tenets of reproductive justice.”

As part of the name-change process, for more than a year, we’ve engaged in meaningful conversations with stakeholders; leaders in the reproductive justice, criminal justice, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, drug policy, and birth justice spaces; and our board of directors.

Recognizing that the fight for trans rights and liberation is inextricably connected to the fight for reproductive autonomy, the organization has long used inclusive language such as “pregnant people” and “people with the capacity for pregnancy.” Pregnancy Justice’s new name now aligns with that language.

For more than 20 years, Pregnancy Justice has defended people against criminalization and state harm based on pregnancy or any pregnancy outcome — whether it is a wanted pregnancy, a pregnancy loss, or an abortion. And we remain the only organization dedicated to defending all people with the capacity for pregnancy against all of those outcomes, including criminalization related to pregnancy and drug use.

Pregnancy Justice has documented more than 1,700 pregnancy-related arrests and prosecutions across the U.S. from 1973 through 2020; successfully defended or provided complex legal strategy for hundreds of clients; trained thousands of professionals across disciplines to confront pregnancy criminalization; and worked across movements to combat harmful laws and change policies.

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