Laurie Pohutsky, a Democratic state representative for Michigan, announced that she sterilized herself to avoid pregnancy during Donald Trump’s second term as president.
“Just under two weeks ago, I underwent surgery to ensure that I would never have to navigate a pregnancy in Donald Trump’s America,” Pohutsky said, according to Michigan Advance. “I refuse to let my body be treated as currency by an administration that only sees value in my ability to procreate.”
“If you know people who are questioning how serious this is, I’m going to repeat myself: A sitting government official opted for voluntary sterilization because she was uncertain she would be able to access contraception in the future,” she said.
Pohutsky called for officials to challenge the Trump administration. “We need to demand that our elected officials at all levels stop pretending that this is politics as usual,” she said. “It is beyond time that all elected officials force the issue instead of preemptively capitulating.”
Her announcement was made during a protest at the Michigan Capitol. The protest was organized by the 50501 Movement to “fight fascism.”
More than 31,000 abortions were had in Michigan in 2023, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The number is 1,000 more than 2022.
Michigan abortions have not seen such high numbers since 1990, when the state recorded 36,184 abortions. In 1985, however, the state recorded 42,678 abortions.
The majority of the state’s abortions for 2023 were performed for women over the age of 30 (36.8%). Women between the ages of 25-29 consisted of 28.5% of those who had abortions, and 8.1% of abortions were had among women under the age of 20.
