North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced new measures related to reproductive health care access in the state. These actions are intended to address privacy concerns and legal protections for both patients and medical professionals.
Stein emphasized the need to safeguard access to reproductive health care, including contraception, IVF, and abortion. “Our state has seen significant changes in reproductive health policies, and I remain committed to protecting individuals’ rights and privacy,” he stated. “I am directing my cabinet agencies to take action to uphold these protections.”
Currently, North Carolina law restricts most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or risks to the mother’s health.
The executive order issued by Stein includes several key provisions:
- Directing cabinet agencies to explore measures that protect medical professionals providing lawful reproductive health care services, as well as patients receiving such care in North Carolina.
- Instructing cabinet agencies not to engage in efforts to investigate or prosecute individuals involved in lawful reproductive health care services.
- Reviewing and updating policies regarding the collection and storage of reproductive health care records to enhance privacy protections.
- Directing the Department of Health and Human Services to clarify distinctions between various health care providers and organizations that offer services to pregnant individuals, including differences in patient privacy laws.
- Ensuring continued access to reproductive health care medications and birth control through state agencies.
“My goal is to assure North Carolinians that their privacy and ability to make personal health care decisions remain protected,” Stein said during a news conference in Charlotte.
This executive action builds on previous measures by former Governor Roy Cooper, who in 2022 signed an order offering protections to individuals traveling to North Carolina for reproductive health care. Stein’s directives expand these protections by reinforcing legal safeguards for patients and providers.
North Carolina remains one of the few Southern states where abortion access is not restricted to six weeks or earlier. The state legislature, led by a Republican majority, enacted a law in 2023 limiting most abortions after 12 weeks. A federal court later invalidated a provision requiring physicians to confirm the “intrauterine location of a pregnancy” before prescribing abortion medication.
With recent shifts in the state legislature, additional restrictions on reproductive health care may face greater challenges moving forward. Changes in the legislative landscape mean the governor’s veto power could be more impactful in shaping future reproductive health policies in North Carolina.
