Body & State

Sarah Varney
  • 4.9 (12)
  • POLITICS

Public television and public radio health reporter Sarah Varney has been chronicling the impact on women’s health care since the end of federal abortion rights and documenting what lies ahead for the rights of women and girls. In Body & State, we delve into her reporter’s notebook, hearing conversations with some of the best minds in the country on reproductive healthcare: law professors, historians, and political scientists; abortion rights opponents and supporters; doctors, midwives, doulas, and abortion pill networks. Tune in each episode for expert analysis and insights on the state of reproductive rights in America. 

  1. 6D AGO

    Getting Emergency Abortion Care When a Catholic Hospital Is the Only Option with Anna Nusslock

    In 2024, California chiropractor Anna Nusslock was pregnant with twins. But 15 weeks into her pregnancy, she found out the twins would not survive. And Anna was told she could not get an abortion, because she was being cared for at a Catholic hospital. Sarah sat down with Anna at her home in rural Eureka, California to talk about her fight to access abortion care in a state that right is protected, but in an area where that kind of care is not always easy. WATCH ON PBS NEWSHOUR: Religious directives at Catholic hospitals complicate emergency care for pregnant women https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/religious-directives-at-catholic-hospitals-complicate-emergency-care-for-pregnant-women

    18 min

  2. JAN 30

    Experiencing an Anti-abortion Center in Texas with Maleeha Aziz

    Across the country, crisis pregnancy centers offer free services to women, things like ultrasounds and pregnancy testing. For some pregnant people, getting care through these centers is the only affordable option, but many are unaware that they do not offer abortions and are often unregulated and unlicensed. In Texas, there are around 200 crisis pregnancy centers, the most of any state. And tens of millions of taxpayer dollars go to these groups each year. Over a decade ago, Maleeha Aziz became pregnant as a college student and went to one of these centers by mistake. WATCH ON PBS NEWSHOUR: Rise of crisis pregnancy centers highlights shift in anti-abortion movement https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/rise-of-crisis-pregnancy-centers-highlights-shift-in-anti-abortion-movement

    20 min

  3. JAN 23

    The Role of Crisis Pregnancy Centers in the Anti-abortion Movement with Brian Westbrook

    The state of Missouri is home to around 90 crisis pregnancy centers. These primarily faith-based organizations offer resources to pregnant women to steer them away from abortion. The nonprofit Coalition Life runs one of these centers out of their offices in the St. Louis suburbs. I talked to founder and executive director, Brian Westbrook, about how they operate, where they fit into the anti-abortion movement and the criticisms of CPCs around the country. WATCH ON PBS NEWSHOUR: Rise of crisis pregnancy centers highlights shift in anti-abortion movement https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/rise-of-crisis-pregnancy-centers-highlights-shift-in-anti-abortion-movement

    22 min

  4. JAN 16

    What It’s Like to Accidentally End Up at a Crisis Pregnancy Center with Hana Miller

    A growing part of the anti-abortion movement in the U.S. today is crisis pregnancy centers. These often faith-based nonprofits offer resources to pregnant women to steer them away from abortion. But reproductive rights advocates and the medical community have criticized the centers for using deceptive and unsafe practices. I speak with one woman who accidentally ended up at a CPC during her freshman year of college. WATCH ON PBS NEWSHOUR: Rise of crisis pregnancy centers highlights shift in anti-abortion movement https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/rise-of-crisis-pregnancy-centers-highlights-shift-in-anti-abortion-movement

    21 min

  5. JAN 9

    What Crisis Pregnancy Centers Can Tell Us about Today’s Anti-Abortion Movement with Carrie Baker

    I sit down with Carrie Baker, a professor of the study of women and gender at Smith College. She’s authored a number of books on women’s legal history, gender policy, and reproductive health activism; her most recent book, “Abortion Pills: US History and Politics”, examines the history of the medication throughout American history. We discuss today’s anti-abortion movement, from contraception to anti-abortion centers. WATCH ON PBS NEWSHOUR: Rise of crisis pregnancy centers highlights shift in anti-abortion movement https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/rise-of-crisis-pregnancy-centers-highlights-shift-in-anti-abortion-movement

    32 min

  6. JAN 2

    The Legacy of Abortion Pills and Helping Women Access Them with Elisa Wells

    The abortion pill was developed and first approved for use in France in the 1980s. But it took until 2000 for the medication to finally get approval in the United States, after years of work by activists and healthcare professionals. One of the women involved in that work is Elisa Wells, co-founder of Plan C, which provides information and education about accessing abortion pills in the U.S. Sarah sits down with her to discuss the history of activists helping women get access to abortion and how groups are carrying on that legacy today. WATCH ON PBS NEWSHOUR: Underground networks for abortion pills appear as states limit access https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/underground-networks-for-abortion-pills-appear-as-states-limit-access  Plan C Pills:  https://www.plancpills.org/

    29 min

  7. 12/26/2025

    How Underground Networks Are Helping Provide Abortion Pills Post-Roe

    Today in the United States more women opt to use abortion medication than receive a surgical abortion to end a pregnancy. But the future of access to those pills is uncertain. Throughout the country, health care workers, doulas and ordinary people are stepping in to make sure women can still get abortion pills, even where it is banned. We spoke with two of the people involved in these networks. WATCH ON PBS NEWSHOUR: Underground networks for abortion pills appear as states limit access https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/underground-networks-for-abortion-pills-appear-as-states-limit-access

    27 min

  8. 12/19/2025

    Why Ordinary People Are Stepping Up to Help Others Access Abortion

    Medication abortions make up more than 60 percent of all abortions in the United States today. But after the fall of Roe, abortion pills are now banned in at least 14 states. That’s led to the rise of underground networks, operating outside the legal system, to give more people access to abortion medication. We sat down with one of the women involved in these networks. WATCH ON PBS NEWSHOUR: Underground networks for abortion pills appear as states limit access https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/underground-networks-for-abortion-pills-appear-as-states-limit-access

    19 min
See All (21)

Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Public television and public radio health reporter Sarah Varney has been chronicling the impact on women’s health care since the end of federal abortion rights and documenting what lies ahead for the rights of women and girls. In Body & State, we delve into her reporter’s notebook, hearing conversations with some of the best minds in the country on reproductive healthcare: law professors, historians, and political scientists; abortion rights opponents and supporters; doctors, midwives, doulas, and abortion pill networks. Tune in each episode for expert analysis and insights on the state of reproductive rights in America. 

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah Varney
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Body & State

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