A Planned Parenthood in St. Paul, Minnesota. Ken Wolter/shutterstock.com Luu D. Ireland, University of Massachusetts Medical School The abortion debate is at the center of U.S. political dialogue. Voices from both sides flood social media feeds, newspapers, radio and television programs. In the last year, attacks on reproductive rights sharply increased. In 2019, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky and Mississippi successfully passed so-called “heartbeat” bans to prohibit abortion as early as 6 to 8 weeks.