Public policy and laws in the United States have not historically supported pregnant people or people who have recently given birth. Pregnant workers have never had the guarantee to be able to continue to earn income and have a healthy and safe pregnancy at the same time. This changed with the 117th Congress this past December 22, 2022 when the most racially and ethnically diverse Congressional body in history, a body made up of just over 25% of women with an additional 11 openly LGBTQIA+ members, made more political history.

Come June 2023, employers will now be required to grant reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers under the bipartisan Pregnant Workers Fairness (PWFA) and Providing Urgent Maternal Protections Acts (PUMP). Both acts were passed in the flurry of amendments to the $1.7 trillion omnibus bill at the end of last year, and are a huge victory for pregnant workers and families.

"There's a natural similarity between reproductive rights and transgender rights," said Mercedes Sanchez, director of development and community education at Cedar River Clinics in Washington State. "It's all about autonomy, bodily autonomy, and being able to make the choices for ourselves." Sanchez sees the fight for reproductive rights and transgender rights as intertwined. And, in fact, they are.

It is essential for healthcare providers to be aware of intersections of oppressions from race, socioeconomic status, sex assigned at birth and current gender status, so patients can potentially feel safe and included in these spaces. By stating that abortion services are cis people's health concern are excluding trans and nonbinary people's experience.