Aubrey Hirsch | Vox Our world has too much noise and too little context. Vox helps you understand what matters. 2024-10-11T20:57:20+00:00 https://www.vox.com/authors/aubrey-hirsch/rss https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/vox_logo_rss_light_mode.png?w=150&h=100&crop=1 Aubrey Hirsch <![CDATA[Miscarriages are incredibly common. Abortion bans have made them less safe.]]> https://www.vox.com/?p=377657 2024-10-11T16:57:20-04:00 2024-10-15T06:45:00-04:00 In an illustration, a pregnant woman holds her stomach against a background of blue and purple trees.
Image: rows of babies. Text: Miscarriages can be deeply heartbreaking. They are the most common early pregnancy complication, occuring in as many as 20% of known pregnancies.Image: A woman sits on a couch as her husband comforts her. Text: Many people experiencing miscarriage choose to speed up the process and make it more predictable by choosing medical intervention. This can offer a patient some semblance of control in an overwhelming situation. Image: A torn daily calendar shows the image of a crying woman. Text: Without medical intervention, the process can be easy and quick, or it can be painful and prolonged, taking up to eight weeks. And a fifth of miscarriages occurring before week 13 require treatment to prevent harm to the pregnant person.Image: A clump of cells in a uterus. Text: Medically, any termination of a pregnancy before the fetus is viable is called an “abortion,” whether it’s spontaneous — like miscarriage — or induced. Image: mifepristone and misoprostol, used in miscarriages and abortions up to 10 weeks; dilation and curettage (D&C), used for miscarriages and abortions after 10 weeks. Text: Because the medical interventions used in miscarriage and abortion care are identical, the restrictions on abortions imposed since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade have had devastating consequences for miscarriage care.Image: A pharmacist tells a woman, “Abortion pills are illegal here.” The woman replies, “But I have a prescription!” Text: In the weeks following that 2022 decision, some women reported being denied miscarriage treatment at pharmacies. Denials have continued despite warnings from the Biden administration that refusing to fill these prescriptions could violate federal anti-discrimination laws. Image: A woman tells her doctor, “I just want to be on the other side of this.” The doctor replies, “Come back if you have dizziness, fever, or really heavy bleeding.” Text: Doctors in states with abortion bans may be more likely to recommend waiting for pregnancy tissue to pass naturally out of fear of being accused of facilitating an abortion. Image: 6 doctors, with one with a red mark over her face. Text: In fact, almost 1 in 6 OB-GYNs nationwide report constraints on their ability to care for pregnant patients experiencing complications or miscarriage. Image: A chart showing OB-GYNs reporting constraints on care they can offer patients. Text: That number is significantly higher in states with abortion bans. Source: Kaiser Family FoundationText: Risks of delayed care for miscarriage complications can be life-threatening and include blood clots, severe blood loss, infection, and sepsis. Image shows these complications.Image: A fetus in a uterus behind shattered glass. Text: These risks are even higher in cases of “inevitable miscarriage,” where the fetus is no longer viable but cardiac activity is still detectable. Image: A pregnant woman holds her stomach. Text: In states with strict bans, people facing this kind of loss have been forced to carry fetuses with no chance of survival until cardiac activity ceases or until they become dangerously ill. Image: A prescription pad constrained by chains reads “medical termination.” Text: Only then do some doctors feel confident they can justify an abortion under the laws’ very narrow exceptions to protect a pregnant person’s life.Image: An infant with a sheet over them on a gurney. Text: These constraints on maternal care contribute to alarming trends in infant and maternal mortality rates in states with abortion bans. Babies born in states with abortion bans were 30% more likely to die in the first month of life than those born in states with more expansive reproductive freedoms.Image: A chart of maternal deaths showing the difference in states where abortion is banned, restricted, and allowed. Text: People in states with abortion bans are more than twice as likely to die while pregnant, birthing, or newly postpartum. Source: Gender Equity Policy Institute analysis of CDC (2018-2021)Image: A pregnant woman stands alone. Text: Abortion bans remove options for people enduring the grief of pregnancy loss, turning an already vulnerable moment into a perilous one and make the world less safe for all pregnant people. Image: A scale with a heart on one side and a pile of papers reading “law” on the other, heavier side. Text: Doctors should be focused on providing patients with compassionate care, not on the fear of legal repercussions.Image: A pregnant woman’s stomach. Text: Prolonging the physical and emotional suffering of miscarriage is a cruel disregard for the health and humanity of pregnant people. ]]> Aubrey Hirsch <![CDATA[I’m pregnant. I’m traveling. I’m terrified.]]> https://www.vox.com/?p=356448 2024-06-26T09:44:06-04:00 2024-06-26T06:00:00-04:00
Illustrated panel showing a hand holding a positive pregnancy test. Text reads: Several months ago, my partner and I bought plane tickets for a family reunion in South Carolina. Then we found out I was pregnantIllustrated panel showing a woman in thought. Text reads: Two thoughts occurred to me at the exact same moment. “We can tell my family about the pregnancy when we’re all together!” “Will I be able to get the health care I need if something goes wrong while we’re there?”Illustrated panel showing an embryo. Text reads: Abortion care is banned in South Carolina as soon as fetal cardiac activity is detectable, usually around 6 weeks. Arrows point to the embryo with three facts: not actually a fetus until week 9, no heart yet, just an intermittent electronic pulsing, about as big as a grain of rice.Illustrated panel showing a woman bracing herself as an oversized gavel comes down on her. Text reads: There are very limited exceptions for rape or incest, nonviable pregnancies, or to preserve the life or health of the pregnant person. // Women in states with strict bans are frequently denied essential care since these exceptions are not just limited, but also unclear.Illustrated panel showing torn paper with news reports. Text reads: Denials and delays of care have had devastating outcomes. Amanda Zurawski, who suffered from membrane rupture during her pregnancy, almost died after being denied abortion care and developing sepsis. Elizabeth Weller's water broke at 19 weeks. Though the baby would be unable to survive, hospital staff forced her to remain pregnant until she developed chorioamnionitus, a serious infection of the placenta and amniotic fluid. Jaci Statton continues to suffer long-term repercussions from being compelled to carry a molar pregnancy — a tumor that can lead to severe bleeding, cancer, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and death. Source: Center for Reproductive RightsIllustration showing various pregnancy complications. Text reads: 1 in 10 pregnant people develop one of these dangerous complications that may require termination: Preeclampsia, a sudden rise in blood pressure (4% of pregnancies); PPROM, premature rupturing of the amniotic sac (3% of pregnancies); Ectopic pregnancy, a pregnancy that implants outside the uterus (2% of pregnancies); Placenta abruption, the placenta separates from the uterus prematurely (1% of pregnancies)Illustrated panel showing a mother with her two children touching her pregnant belly. Text reads: My pregnancy is high-risk, and I already have two children who need me alive and well.Illustrated panel showing a tropical drink in a coconut, a restaurant menu, and a palm tree on the beach next to abortion ban signs. Text reads: So, in addition to researching kid-friendly restaurants and nearby beaches for our trip, I found myself having to study abortion laws in South Carolina and surrounding states.Illustrated panel showing a map of the US, with states color-coded by level of abortion restriction. Text reads: I located a hospital in the closest state that could offer me a full range of health care options, including termination of my pregnancy. Source: Planned ParenthoodIllustrated panel showing the driving route from the reunion in South Carolina to the nearest hospital that will terminate pregnancies, in North Carolina, a 40.9-mile drive that takes 54 minutes. It also shows the route to a hospital in Virginia, 341 miles and 5 hours and 25 minutes away. Text reads: It was in North Carolina. This is already a daunting drive in a crisis, but if the reunion were a couple weeks later, we’d have to travel much farther, to Virginia.Illustrated panel showing a car, a stopwatch, and a stack of money. Text reads: This would be possible for us because we have access to a car, budget for unexpected expenses, and time off from our jobs. I know that fleeing the state for medical care isn’t an option that’s available to everyone.Illustrated panel showing a woman in front of a normal emergency room on the left and one behind barbed wire on the right. Text reads: As a pregnant woman in a country with no federal protection for abortion, it’s terrifying to know that the emergency medical care I might receive depends on where I am when something goes wrong.Illustrated panel showing many different kinds of people in silhouette. Text reads: Abortion bans like South Carolina's are a danger to everyone, not just those facing unwanted pregnancies. And not just people living in red states.Illustrated panel showing a woman holding her pregnant belly. Text reads: Until reproductive freedom is available to every person, everywhere, none of us are truly safe. ]]> Aubrey Hirsch <![CDATA[IVF is popular — and imperiled]]> https://www.vox.com/health/24091357/what-is-ivf-explained-infertility-alabama-immunity-illustrated-guide 2024-03-07T16:36:52-05:00 2024-03-07T13:20:32-05:00
The text reads: The letters “IVF” stand for in vitro fertilization, meaning that an egg is fertilized “in glass,” outside the human body. The image shows an egg and sperm in a petri dish.The text reads: But the IVF process is actually a complicated series of procedures developed to give a person the best chance of getting pregnant. The image shows the steps of IVF depicted as a board game.The text reads: In a natural menstrual cycle, the body matures and releases a single egg for possible fertilization. In an IVF cycle, daily injections of hormones stimulate the body to mature multiple eggs at once. The image shows an ovary filled with eggs at the top and IVF syringes at the bottom.The text reads: Any mature eggs retrieved via IVF will be exposed to or injected with sperm in the hope that they will fertilize and begin to divide. The resulting blastocysts can either be transferred to a uterus in a few days or frozen and stored for transfer later. The image shows a test tube being put into a freezer.The text reads: An aneuploid embryo implanted in a uterus is much likelier to end in a miscarriage and almost never produces a healthy baby, exposing the pregnant person to greater risk and stealing precious time from people at an advanced maternal age. The images shows a woman with a pink and blue miscarriage awareness ribbon on her abdomen.The text reads: When Louise Brown, the first IVF baby, was born in 1978, people viewed the new technology with suspicion. The image shows a baby in a test tube, surrounded by various speech bubbles that read: “Who would want a test tube baby?” “Scientists shouldn’t play God.” “It isn’t natural.”The text reads: But its popularity has grown over time. IVF is used by people experiencing infertility for lots of reasons. It’s also frequently used by fertile people in same-sex partnerships, intended single parents, or by people wanting to screen embryos for genetic conditions. The image depicts people in these categories.The text reads: Now that Americans are having children later in life and families have become more diverse, IVF babies in the US currently account for 2 percent of births. The image shows 100 small babies, two of which are colored in to indicate this statistic.The text reads: People’s attitudes toward IVF have remained consistently and overwhelmingly positive over the last decade. The image shows a bar graph with percentage of the population that thinks IVF is not a moral issue (around 45 percent in 2013 and 40 percent in 2024), morally acceptable (around 33 percent in 2013 and 30 percent in 2024), and morally wrong (around 13 percent in 2013 and 9 percent in 2024).The text reads: And a vast majority of Americans agree that IVF should be legal. The image shows a pie chart styled as an egg, surrounded by sperm; the chart shows the statistic is 86 percent.The text reads: IVF is a numbers game. There is considerable attrition in every step of the process. The more eggs, embryos, blastocysts, and euploids you amass, the more likely you are to bring home a baby at the end of it all. The image depicts a dwindling number of viable entities with each stage, from eggs collected to mature eggs to fertilized eggs to blastocysts.The text reads: Because IVF often involves the destruction of low-quality embryos and embryos that are left over when a patient completes their family, the same conservative and religious groups chipping away at other reproductive freedoms are attacking IVF. The image shows a women walking a test tube in a stroller and saying, “This is a child!”The text reads: The overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 was a huge win for this small but vocal faction, and it opened the door for states to pass laws that grant “personhood” to fertilized eggs. The image shows a test tube in baby onesie and a speech bubble that reads, “He’ll grow into it!”The text reads: A recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that frozen embryos should be considered “extrauterine children” caused almost half of Alabama’s IVF clinics to pause procedures, leaving families devastated, their embryos in limbo. The image shows a couple outside of a fertility clinic that’s covered in police tape.The text reads: A bill to protect IVF in Alabama is currently making its way through the state legislature, to the relief of Alabamans experiencing infertility. But another bill that would have protected IVF nationwide was blocked by Republicans in the Senate. The image depicts the writing and stamping out of a bill.The text reads: Without federal protection for reproductive freedom, access to IVF will become a state-by-state issue. The image shows a map of the United States with question marks on top of it.The text reads: IVF isn’t successful for everyone, and undergoing the physically and emotionally taxing process doesn’t guarantee a baby. The image shows a woman looking at shelves of teddy bears wearing rainbow scarves.The text reads: But IVF does mean hope for the tens of thousands of people who turn to it every year. Hope that cannot exist without it. The image shows the same woman from the previous panel smiling and holding one of the teddy bears. ]]> Aubrey Hirsch <![CDATA[Why do people still think women aren’t funny?]]> https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23501434/women-funny-comedy 2022-12-20T06:31:00-05:00 2022-12-20T06:23:58-05:00

Aubrey Hirsch is a writer and illustrator in Berkeley, California. She most recently wrote about male friendships for Vox.

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]]> Aubrey Hirsch <![CDATA[Men have fewer friends than ever, and it’s harming their health]]> https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23323556/men-friendship-loneliness-isolation-masculinity 2022-09-15T14:01:39-04:00 2022-08-27T07:00:00-04:00

Aubrey Hirsch is a writer and illustrator and frequent contributor to Vox. She most recently wrote about the many, many costs of breastfeeding for The Highlight.

Correction, August 29, 1:55 pm ET: This comic was originally published on August 27 and has been updated to correct the misnamed source of the information in panels 2, 10, and 11. It is not called the American Survey Center, it is AEI’s Survey Center on American Life.

]]> Aubrey Hirsch <![CDATA[The economic case for abortion rights]]> https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23182150/abortion-rights-economic-justice 2022-06-25T11:37:21-04:00 2022-06-25T08:30:00-04:00

Aubrey Hirsch is a writer and illustrator in Berkeley, California. She most recently wrote about the many, many costs of breastfeeding for The Highlight.

]]> Aubrey Hirsch <![CDATA[The many, many costs of breastfeeding]]> https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23076305/breastfeeding-costs-baby-formula-shortage 2022-05-23T16:08:01-04:00 2022-05-17T07:00:00-04:00
]]> Aubrey Hirsch <![CDATA[The danger of treating body parts like fast fashion]]> https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/22810286/plastic-surgery-fads-bbl-lips-fast-fashion 2021-12-23T07:40:05-05:00 2021-12-23T07:40:03-05:00

Part of the Fads Issue of The Highlight, our home for ambitious stories that explain our world.

Aubrey Hirsch is a writer and illustrator whose work has appeared in the Nib, the New York Times, the Rumpus, and elsewhere. She’s created comics for the Highlight about adult friendships and women leaving the workforce during the pandemic.

More from the Fads Issue

Pikachu, a yellow Pokemon character, is being pulled in two directions by hands. Pikachu appears distressed. The background is pink.
]]> Aubrey Hirsch <![CDATA[How the pandemic is forcing women out of the workforce, explained in a comic]]> https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/22154212/coronavirus-women-covid-19-pandemic-workforce 2020-12-22T16:49:31-05:00 2020-12-22T11:20:00-05:00
While the Covid-19 pandemic has reshaped the lives of all Americans, the changes at home and at work have hit women particularly hard. It’s caused an exodus of women from the workforce.At the start of the pandemic, a shocking 2,651,000 women left the workforce, sending the women’s unemployment rate skyrocketing.The coronavirus smashes up the bargain that so many dual-earner couples have made in the developed world: “We can both work because someone else is looking after our children.” Helen Lewis, journalistNow, couples have to make difficult decisions about how to distribute these massive new child care responsibilities.In my family, most of the responsibility for the kids fell to me.My job as a freelance writer already had built-in flexibility, and my co-parent significantly out-earns me.We couldn’t afford to lose his salary, so I canceled my existing contracts and scaled way back to look after our kids and take the lead on their distance learning.My story is typical. According to the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion, of the adults who aren’t currently working because of caregiving obligations, 80% are women.617,000 women — eight times more than the number of men — were forced out of the workforce in September alone, just as school would typically be ramping up.According to the US Current Population Survey data, mothers who continue to work have had to reduce their work hours at a rate five times greater than that of fathers.Because of persistent school and day care closures, the work of caregiving has been forcibly shifted from the paid economy to the unpaid economy.And women have always run the unpaid economy.According to McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace report, moms are more than three times as likely as dads to do most of the household and parenting work.And, on average, they spend twice as much time on household chores, for a total of more than 18 hours a week — nearly a half-time job.The situation is even worse for women of color. Latina mothers are over one and a half times more likely than white mothers to perform all the child care and housework.Black mothers are twice as likely to shoulder all of this responsibility on their own: Women of color also earn less and are more likely to work in high-contact jobs, those most affected by the pandemic.The career hits that women are taking now are almost certain to have dramatic effects on workplace equity moving forward.Women’s disproportionate responsibilities at home were already a major contributing factor to their lower pay and difficulty advancing at work. Now men will have an even greater advantage when it comes to increased opportunities, promotions, and raises.The reverberations of this pandemic will be felt by women for years to come.When things fall apart, we are quick to sacrifice women’s time and expect them to pick up the pieces. But the paid economy does not value the competency we demand from them in times of crisis.Now that I’ve added two new unpaid jobs (kindergarten teacher and 2nd grade teacher) to my usual slate of domestic work, with no acknowledgment from our leadership of the magnitude of this sacrifice, I’m even more acutely aware of how little my time seems to be worth.The government appears to be either willfully ignoring the massive gender imbalance in these statistics or happy to have us back in the kitchen.So, like our mothers and grandmothers before us, we’ll have to summon the strength to fight our way out again.

Aubrey Hirsch is a writer and illustrator in Berkeley, California. Her work has appeared in the Nib, the New York Times, the Rumpus, and elsewhere. She’s created comics about adult friendships and the women’s happiness gap for The Highlight.

]]> Aubrey Hirsch <![CDATA[The hell that is remote learning, explained in a comic]]> https://www.vox.com/first-person/21450739/coronavirus-covid-19-school-remote-online-learning 2020-09-24T14:00:37-04:00 2020-09-22T13:50:00-04:00

I’m a freelance writer and illustrator living in the Bay Area with my 7-year-old and 5-year-old. On August 17, the kids started school, which is 100 percent remote, at least until January but likely longer depending on how the pandemic develops this winter. Here’s what one week of attempting online school in a nation without a child care solution looks like.

Aubrey Hirsch is a writer and illustrator in Berkeley, California. Her work has appeared in the Nib, the New York Times, the Rumpus, and elsewhere.

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