Document Type
Lecture
Publication Date
4-29-2026
Publication Title
Robert E. Lang Memorial Fellowship Lecture
Publisher
The Lincy Institute and Brookings Mountain West
First page number:
1
Last page number:
54
Abstract
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) overturning Roe V. Wade, states have taken divergent paths in regulating access to abortion services. In 2024, Nevada voters overwhelmingly passed Question 6 proposing to codify abortion rights into the state constitution. In November 2026, Question 6 will again be on the ballot for final confirmation. If it passes, these rights will be protected from future legislative action.
Despite Nevadans’ strong support for abortion rights, the state’s dearth of abortion providers limits access to these services. As this lecture explores, both providers and individuals seeking abortions, including those living non-traditional lifestyles (NTLs) such as consensual non-monogamy and BDSM/kink, experience stigma through negative stereotyping and social disapproval. In this lecture, stigma is defined as a relational and structural process through which certain identities, behaviors, and bodily choices are labeled and marked as deviant, producing exclusion, moral judgment, and unequal access to resources and care. Drawing on data collected from 48 in-depth interviews, Fuller examines the concept of stigma in the context of bodily autonomy, gender roles, and considers how stigma might foster beneficial outcomes, such as resilience, and lead some to educate others and increase contact with supportive communities.
Understanding how stigma can impede access to reproductive and other healthcare services enables researchers to conduct more informed research on stigma and resilience. Recommendations for effective laws and public policies for addressing abortion stigma and barriers to healthcare access in Nevada are presented.
Keywords
Abortion; Stigma; NTL; Policy; Nevada; California; Utah
Disciplines
Community-Based Research | Community Health | Gender and Sexuality | Health Policy | Public Health | Public Policy | Social Welfare | Women's Health
File Format
File Size
4.4 MB
Run Time
00:52:13
Language
English
Repository Citation
Fuller, C.
(2026).
Abortion Politics and Policy: Stigma and Access in the Silver State.
Robert E. Lang Memorial Fellowship Lecture
1-54.
Available at:
https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/lincy_events/10
Included in
Community-Based Research Commons, Community Health Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Health Policy Commons, Public Policy Commons, Social Welfare Commons, Women's Health Commons