Help us to defend our title as the Best Science and Medicine Podcast! Go to podcastawards.com and select “DNA Today” in the Science and Medicine category. Bonus if you tweet/post that you nominated DNA Today (and tag us), then we will share your post and give you a shoutout on the show as a thank you. You have the power to get DNA Today nominated again!

On Friday, June 24th, 2022, the US Supreme Court released its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organizationvoting to overturn Roe v. Wade— the 1973 ruling that guaranteed federal constitutional protections of abortion rights.

In this discussion we will be explaining the abortion laws and how this decision specifically affects genetic counseling with Laura Hercher. Laura is a seasoned genetic counselor and the host of The Beagle Has Landed podcast. She is also on the team at Sarah Lawrence College’s Genetic Counseling program coordinating student research, directing the ethics course and facilitating the weekly current events discussion.

In the week leading up to this episode we asked our listeners to submit their questions on our social media channels, be sure to listen to see if your question was answered!

On This Episode We Discuss:

Trigger laws and when they go into effect
The effect of this decision on pro-choice states (CT, NY, CA, etc)
How this ruling disproportionately affects people who can’t afford to travel for abortions
Genetic counseling in a post-Roe world and how this decision affects the field

The legal ramifications for genetic counselors discussing patients’ options in abortion banned states
How the overturning of Roe is going to impact pedigrees
Receiving care (medication, D&C, D&E) in states that now have abortion bans
How this affects pregnancies that are non-viable and people with conditions where a pregnancy is life-threatening
Recommended resources/organizations for people to donate money or volunteer

Following this episode, DNA Today made a donation to The National Network of Abortion Funds, which aims to remove barriers to abortion access. We encourage our listeners to do the same here.

To stay up to date on the latest developments in the overturning of Roe v Wade and hear Laura’s thoughts on these issues, follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also follow her podcast, The Beagle Has Landed, on Twitter and Facebook.

Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on July 8th, 2022 where we’ll be welcoming Atticus Shaffer, who played Brick Heck on the ABC sitcom The Middle, to discuss his experience with Osteogenesis Imperfecta ! New episodes are released on Fridays. In the meantime, you can binge over 190 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel.

DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli.

See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNApodcast.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.

PerkinElmer Genomics is a global leader in genetic testing focusing on rare diseases, inherited disorders, newborn screening, and hereditary cancer. Testing services support the full continuum of care from preconception and prenatal to neonatal, pediatric, and adult. Testing options include sequencing for targeted genes, multiple genes, the whole exome or genome, and copy number variations. Using a simple saliva or blood sample, PerkinElmer Genomics answers complex genetic questions that can proactively inform patient care and end the diagnostic odyssey for families. Learn more at PerkinElmerGenomics.com. (SPONSORED)

HemoShear Therapeutics is a clinical stage company developing new treatments for patients with rare metabolic disorders. By partnering with fellow biopharma companies, HemoShear is accelerating their drug discovery and development programs in metabolic disorders, and also liver diseases and gout. HemoShear is currently conducting a clinical trial for a new therapy for propionic and methylmalonic Acidemia. Learn more about these conditions and the clinical trial in an upcoming episode of DNA Today! You can also visit hemoshear.com. (SPONSORED)

In my free time during the summer I am usually with friends at our apartment’s pool. My spot is right next to the water reading a book, most recently “A Crack In Creation”, which might come up in a future episode. I like keeping cool by sipping on some ice tea while I read, but I don’t like all the sugar. So I’ve been enjoying Sound drinks instead. Sound makes unsweetened, organic sparkling waters made with tea and botanicals. No natural flavors or sugar. My fav is the blueberry with cinnamon and hibiscus tea. Try it out by ordering at DrinkSound.com using promo code DNATODAY for 20% off! Plus you are supporting the podcast. (SPONSORED)

A bunch of my friends at my apartment have dogs and I love being able to offer them a treat when I take them for a walk or when they visit my place. So I got Sundays for Dogs. Now this is dog food, but can also be used as dog treats. My friend Annie’s dog, Frank, gets so excited when he sees me, and if I’m being honest, I think it’s more the food than me. Sundays For Dogs is real food formulated by a Vet with high quality meat, veggies, fruit and superfoods, then air-dried to perfection. Since you are a DNA Today listener, you can visit SundaysForDogs.com and use code “DNATODAY” for 35% off your first order. Support your pup and the podcast! (SPONSORED)