Anna Igler

Last updated
Anna Igler
Alma mater University of Wisconsin–Madison
Known forReproductive freedom advocacy
Children2
Scientific career
Fields Obstetrics and gynaecology

Anna J. Igler is an American obstetrician and gynecologist and reproductive freedom advocate from the Green Bay, Wisconsin, area.

Contents

Career

Igler earned a M.D. from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in 2009. [1] She completed a residency at the Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital in 2013. [1] In 2016, Igler was certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. [1] She is an obstetrician and gynecologist (OB/GYN) based around Green Bay, Wisconsin, working in several locations including the Aurora BayCare Medical Center and Bellin Health Oconto Hospital. [2] [3] [4] Igler has overseen births and performed abortions, providing reproductive health services to women in Wisconsin. [3]

In 2020, Igler chose to terminate her own pregnancy at 25 weeks due to a diagnosis of severe fetal brain abnormalities. [3] Her fetus had been diagnosed with microcephaly and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, leading to permanent brain damage. [2] Wisconsin law at the time prohibited abortions after 21 weeks, so Igler traveled to Colorado to undergo the procedure. [2]

Igler became more publicly involved in abortion advocacy following the U.S. Supreme Court's June 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization , which overturned Roe v. Wade . [2] [3] Wisconsin's 1849 abortion law, which bans most abortions except to save the life of the mother, came back into effect after the ruling. [3] Shortly after the decision, Igler began speaking out about her abortion experience, first telling her story to the Green Bay Press-Gazette and later appearing in advertisements supporting Democratic candidates, including Wisconsin governor Tony Evers and circuit judge Janet Protasiewicz. [2] [3] In 2023, Igler continued her advocacy by participating in a national ad campaign organized by American Bridge 21st Century. [3] In these ads, she shared her story of ending a wanted pregnancy due to her baby's terminal illness. [3] She has since spoken at rallies and press conferences about the importance of reproductive freedom, particularly in the face of potential national abortion restrictions. [3] Igler endorsed the Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign. [5]

Personal life

Igler is married and has two children. [2] In 2020, she terminated a pregnancy due to severe fetal abnormalities caused by CMV. [2] She named her daughter Nora Rose, in honor of her mother. [2] Igler has since had another child via in-vitro fertilization (IVF) after her abortion. [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

Dilationand curettage (D&C) refers to the dilation of the cervix and surgical removal of sections and or layers of the lining of the uterus and or contents of the uterus such as an unwanted fetus, remains of a non viable fetus, retained placenta after birth or abortion as well as any abnormal tissue which may be in the uterus causing abnormal cycles by scraping and scooping (curettage). It is a gynecologic procedure used for treatment and removal as well as diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, and is the most commonly used method for first trimester abortion or miscarriage.

Intact dilation and extraction is a surgical procedure that terminates and removes an intact fetus from the uterus. The procedure is used both after miscarriages and for abortions in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. When used to perform an abortion, an intact D&E can occur after feticide or on a live fetus.

Obstetrics and gynaecology is the medical specialty that encompasses the two subspecialties of obstetrics and gynaecology. The specialization is an important part of care for women's health.

Late termination of pregnancy, also referred to politically as third trimester abortion, describes the termination of pregnancy by inducing labor during a late stage of gestation. In this context, late is not precisely defined, and different medical publications use varying gestational age thresholds. As of 2015, in the United States, more than 90% of abortions occur before the 13th week, 1.3% take place after the 21st week, and less than 1% occur after 24 weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abortion law</span> Laws that allow, prohibit, or regulate abortion

Abortion laws vary widely among countries and territories, and have changed over time. Such laws range from abortion being freely available on request, to regulation or restrictions of various kinds, to outright prohibition in all circumstances. Many countries and territories that allow abortion have gestational limits for the procedure depending on the reason; with the majority being up to 12 weeks for abortion on request, up to 24 weeks for rape, incest, or socioeconomic reasons, and more for fetal impairment or risk to the woman's health or life. As of 2022, countries that legally allow abortion on request or for socioeconomic reasons comprise about 60% of the world's population. In 2024, France became the first country to explicitly protect abortion rights in its constitution, while Yugoslavia implicitly inscribed abortion rights to its constitution in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pregnancy</span> Time of offspring development in mothers body

Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops (gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Elizabeth Hodgson</span> Physician, obstetrician, gynecologist

Jane Elizabeth Hodgson was an American obstetrician and gynecologist. Hodgson received a bachelor's degree from Carleton College and her M.D. from the University of Minnesota. She trained at the Jersey City Medical Center and at the Mayo Clinic.

The genetics and abortion issue is an extension of the abortion debate and the disability rights movement. Since the advent of forms of prenatal diagnosis, such as amniocentesis and ultrasound, it has become possible to detect the presence of congenital disorders in the fetus before birth. Specifically, disability-selective abortion is the abortion of fetuses that are found to have non-fatal mental or physical defects detected through prenatal testing. Many prenatal tests are now considered routine, such as testing for Down syndrome. Women who are discovered to be carrying fetuses with disabilities are often faced with the decision of whether to abort or to prepare to parent a child with disabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health</span> Medical school in the United States

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UWSMPH) is a professional school for the study of medicine and public health at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. It is one of only two medical schools in Wisconsin, along with the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and the only public one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maternal–fetal medicine</span> Branch of medicine

Maternal–fetal medicine (MFM), also known as perinatology, is a branch of medicine that focuses on managing health concerns of the mother and fetus prior to, during, and shortly after pregnancy.

This is a timeline of reproductive rights legislation, a chronological list of laws and legal decisions affecting human reproductive rights. Reproductive rights are a sub-set of human rights pertaining to issues of reproduction and reproductive health. These rights may include some or all of the following: the right to legal or safe abortion, the right to birth control, the right to access quality reproductive healthcare, and the right to education and access in order to make reproductive choices free from coercion, discrimination, and violence. Reproductive rights may also include the right to receive education about contraception and sexually transmitted infections, and freedom from coerced sterilization, abortion, and contraception, and protection from practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM).

Abortion has been legal in India under various circumstances with the introduction of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Regulations, 2003 were issued under the Act to enable women to access safe and legal abortion services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abortion law in the United States by state</span>

The legality of abortion in the United States and the various restrictions imposed on the procedure vary significantly, depending on the laws of each state or other jurisdiction, although there is no uniform federal law. Some states prohibit abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with few exceptions; others permit it up to a certain point in a woman's pregnancy, while some allow abortion throughout a woman's pregnancy. In states where abortion is legal, several classes of restrictions on the procedure may exist, such as parental consent or notification laws, requirements that patients be shown an ultrasound before obtaining an abortion, mandatory waiting periods, and counseling requirements.

Abortion in Greece has been fully legalized since 1986, when Law 1609/1986 was passed effective from 3 July 1986. Partial legalization of abortion in Greece was passed in Law 821 in 1978 that provided for the legal termination of a pregnancy, with no time limitation, in the event of a threat to the health or life of the woman. This law also allowed for termination up to the 12th week of pregnancy due to psychiatric indications and to the 20th week due to fetal pathology. Following the passage of the 1986 law, abortions can be performed on-demand in hospitals for women whose pregnancies have not exceeded 12 weeks. In the case of rape or incest, an abortion can occur as late as 19 weeks, and as late as 24 weeks in the case of fetal abnormalities. In case of inevitable risk to the life of the pregnant woman or a risk of serious and continuous damage to her physical or mental health, termination of pregnancy is legal any time before birth. Girls under the age of 18 must get written permission from a parent or guardian before being allowed an abortion.

The Texas Alliance for Life is an anti-abortion lobbying organization in the State of Texas. The group opposes "the advocacy and practice of abortion ." The group also opposes euthanasia and "all forms of assisted suicide." It is based in Austin, Texas.

Abortion is the termination of human pregnancy, often performed in the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. In 1973, the United States Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade recognized a constitutional right to obtain an abortion without excessive government restriction, and in 1992 the Court in Planned Parenthood v. Casey invalidated restrictions that create an undue burden on people seeking abortions. Since then, there has continued to be an abortion debate in the United States, and some states have passed laws in the form of regulation of abortions but which have the purpose or effect of restricting its provision. The proponents of such laws argue they do not create an undue burden. Some state laws that impact the availability of abortions have been upheld by courts. In 2022, Roe and Casey were overturned by the Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, meaning that states may now regulate abortion in ways that were not previously permitted.

A six-week abortion ban, also called a "fetal heartbeat bill" by proponents, is a law in the United States which makes abortion illegal as early as six weeks gestational age, which is when proponents claim that a "fetal heartbeat" can be detected. Medical and reproductive health experts, including the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, say that the reference to a fetal heartbeat is medically inaccurate and misleading, for a conceptus is not called a fetus until eight weeks after fertilization, as well as that at four weeks after fertilization, the embryo has no heart, only a group of cells which will become a heart. Medical professionals advise that a true fetal heartbeat cannot be detected until around 17 to 20 weeks of gestation when the chambers of the heart have become sufficiently developed.

Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania up to the 24th week of pregnancy. 51% of Pennsylvania adults said in a 2014 poll by the Pew Research Center that abortion should be legal and 44% said it should be illegal in all or most cases.

Abortion in Wisconsin has been legal since September 18, 2023, and is performed in Madison, Milwaukee and Sheboygan through 22 weeks gestation. However, elective abortions in Wisconsin are under dispute after the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court of the United States on June 24, 2022. Abortion opponents cite an 1849 law that they claim bans the procedure in all cases except when the life of the mother is in danger. However, lower level courts have argued that the law only applies to infanticide and not consensual abortions. The enforceability of the law is disputed and being considered by the state courts. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin announced that they would resume abortion services in Madison and Milwaukee on September 18, 2023. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin later announced that they would resume abortion services in Sheboygan on December 28, 2023.

Ingrid Skop is an American obstetrics and gynecology physician and anti-abortion activist who is the vice president and director of medical affairs at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of the political advocacy group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. The Texas Tribune has called Skop "the first call for anyone looking for an OB/GYN to publicly defend abortion restrictions."

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Anna Igler, M.D. | ThedaCare". directory.thedacare.org. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Vakil, Keya (March 23, 2023). "'I Had No Good Option': Wisconsin Mom Urges Voting In Supreme Court Race To Restore Reproductive Rights". upnorthnewswi.com. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Slevin, Peter (2024-08-09). "The New Faces of Abortion Rights". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  4. "Directory profile". U.S. News Health. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  5. Payne, Daniel (September 21, 2024). "Doctors 'fight like hell' against a second Trump admin: 'Elections do matter for your health'". Politico. Retrieved 2024-09-21.