Episode description

Dr. Warren Hern’s book, Abortion in the Age of Unreason: A Doctor’s Account of Caring for Women Before and After Roe v. Wade, chronicles the difficult realities of providing abortion care amidst a polarized political and social climate. Drawing from personal experiences, Hern describes protecting patients and staff from aggressive protesters and emphasizes the critical need for abortion services to protect women’s health. His work also highlights insights from his research in Latin America, underscoring abortion’s role in addressing national and global public health challenges. Hern argues that the recent dismantling of Roe v. Wade has intensified a long-standing crisis, which now endangers democracy as political groups exploit the issue to gain power. His book exposes the real risks of restricted access and urges for political action to safeguard reproductive rights, stressing that women’s need for safe abortion services is an essential, ongoing component of healthcare and freedom.

Warren M. Hern, M.D., is known to the public through his many appearances on CNN, Rachel Maddow/MSNBC, Sixty Minutes, and in the pages of The Atlantic magazine, The New York Times, Washington Post, and dozens more media. A scientist, Hern wrote about the need for safe abortion services before the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and was present at the first Supreme Court arguments. In his research and medical work, he pioneered since 1973 the modern safe practice of early and late abortion in his highly influential books and scholarship. A tireless national activist for women’s reproductive rights, he is an adjunct professor of anthropology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and holds a clinical appointment in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado medical center. He holds doctorates in medicine and epidemiology. His book is Abortion in the Age of Unreason: A Doctor’s Account of Caring for Women Before and After Roe v. Wade.

Shermer and Hern discuss Hern’s journey into abortion care, abortion history pre- and post-Roe, and the complex procedures involved. They explore the risks of pregnancy versus abortion, societal and political challenges like protests and threats, and the debate over fetal personhood. Hern also delves into the broader implications of abortion rights on democracy and society, shedding light on contentious issues surrounding reproductive health.