Sarah Varney

Sarah Varney was a senior correspondent for KFF Health News until August 2023.

@SarahVarney4

Listen: Why Childbirth Is So Dangerous for Many Young Teens

KHN senior correspondent Sarah Varney talks with NPR’s “Weekend Edition Sunday” about how the abortion bans proliferating in many U.S. states will affect teenage birth rates and the physical risks that trend poses for girls.

Abortion Bans Skirt a Medical Reality: For Many Teens, Childbirth Is Dangerous

The laws criminalizing abortion in many conservative U.S. states are expected to boost birth rates among teens, whose bodies often aren’t built for safe childbirth. For adolescents, the emotional and physical challenges of carrying a pregnancy to term can be daunting.

As Many States Plan to Ban Abortion if ‘Roe’ Falls, California Moves to Protect It

If the Supreme Court affirms the leaked draft decision and overturns abortion rights, the effects would be sweeping in states where Republican-led legislatures have been eagerly awaiting the repudiation of a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy. In deep-blue California, Democratic lawmakers propose codifying the right to abortion in the state constitution.