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Jun 23, 2025
Khiara Bridges, a UC Berkeley law professor and expert on reproductive rights, breaks down the gripping case of Adriana Smith, a pregnant woman declared brain dead. The conversation dives into the ethical quagmire created by strict abortion laws and the implications of fetal personhood. Bridges highlights systemic biases in healthcare, especially affecting marginalized communities, and calls for addressing these injustices. The discussion also critiques how race impacts maternal health outcomes for Black women, illustrating the urgent need for reform.
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Brain-Dead Pregnancy Case
- Adriana Smith was declared brain dead while pregnant, yet her hospital kept her on life support due to fetal activity and state abortion laws.
- Her son was delivered prematurely via emergency C-section, and she was taken off life support days later without family consent.
Legal Complexity of Abortion Laws
- Georgia's abortion law bans abortion after fetal heartbeat detection, criminalizing acts that terminate pregnancy.
- This leads to hospitals legally compelled to maintain life support to avoid 'terminating' pregnancies, even on brain-dead patients.
Fetal Personhood Diminishes Maternal Rights
- Fetal personhood laws criminalize acts harming fetuses, placing legal rights on fetuses equal to persons.
- Legally prioritizing fetal rights strips pregnant individuals and their families of decision-making agency.