A Conversation with America’s Most Well-Known Abortion Doctor

About this episode:

In this episode, Dr. Hern explains how abortions are performed, discusses the reasons behind early and late-term procedures, and examines the political landscape surrounding abortion, both before Roe v. Wade’s passing in 1973 and after its overturning in 2022.

Warren M. Hern, M.D., is widely regarded as America’s most prominent abortion provider. He advocated for safe abortion services before the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and attended the first Supreme Court arguments. Since 1973, he has pioneered modern practices in both early- and late-term abortion care. Dr. Hern 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. His new book is Abortion in the Age of Unreason: A Doctor's Account of Caring for Women Before and After Roe v. Wade.