For MSNBC, not all conspiracy theories are created equal. When a Democrat is engaging in them, they get invitations for softball interviews such as when California Rep. Sarah Jacobs joined Saturday’s Alex Witt Reports to suggest that Florida’s 15-week abortion ban will lead to teenagers having their menstrual health data weaponized against them.
Witt kicked off the segment by noting “the outcry in Florida over a state medical form asking teenage athletes to report their menstrual histories. The optional questionnaire, long used by the state's high school athletic association to keep in check on female students' health, is going online and that has some physicians and parents worried a third-party company collecting and storing the data puts students at risk.”
As Witt herself noted, the questions are neither new nor mandatory, but they have gained attention because Florida is now “a state with a 15-week abortion ban.”
After Witt introduced Jacobs, she asked “I'm curious, your privacy concerns about stored information on menstruation, I mean, some of it would be obvious, but I would love to hear your thoughts on it. And how would your My Body, My Data Act address them specifically in the case of Florida teenagers.”
Jacobs, who is the media’s favorite conspiracy theorist on this topic, replied that the questions are “completely invasive… It's one thing to talk about this with your doctor, but as soon as you're storing it online, as soon as you're passing it to anybody besides your doctor, then the risks get even higher.”
If Jacobs simply wanted to increase privacy for female high school athletes, that would be one thing, but she isn’t, she’s fearmongering in order to try to convince people to vote for Democrats, “And I'm especially concerned in a state like Florida with a 15-week abortion ban, that this data can be used to track who should be getting their period, but isn't, who might be pregnant, but, you know, isn’t, who needs an abortion and could be weaponized and used against these young girls who are just trying to play high school sports.”
Both Witt and Jacobs portrayed an abortion limit of 15 weeks as some sort of radical position, which it isn’t. Nor did they explain how 15 weeks makes these teenagers vulnerable in a way the previous 24-week limit didn’t.
This segment was sponsored by Subway.
Here is a transcript for the October 8 show:
MSNBC Alex Witt Reports
10/8/2022
12:46 PM ET
ALEX WITT: Let's go now to the outcry in Florida over a state medical form asking teenage athletes to report their menstrual histories. The optional questionnaire, long used by the state's high school athletic association to keep in check on female students' health, is going online and that has some physicians and parents worried a third-party company collecting and storing the data puts students at risk. Especially in a state with a 15-week abortion ban.
The Palm Beach County School District has asked the state athletic association to remove the optional five questions about menstruation altogether. My next guest has a broader solution. California Congresswoman Sara Jacobs has introduced a bill to protect personal reproductive health data, and I welcome you now to the broadcast, congresswoman, I’m glad you’re here.
I'm curious, your privacy concerns about stored information on menstruation, I mean, some of it would be obvious, but I would love to hear your thoughts on it. And how would your My Body, My Data Act address them specifically in the case of Florida teenagers.
SARA JACOBS: Yeah, well, thank you for having me and I think it's completely invasive to be having these high school students have to provide this information to their high school sports coaches to be able to play. It's one thing to talk about this with your doctor, but as soon as you're storing it online, as soon as you're passing it to anybody besides your doctor, then the risks get even higher.
And I'm especially concerned in a state like Florida with a 15-week abortion ban, that this data can be used to track who should be getting their period, but isn't, who might be pregnant, but, you know, isn’t, who needs an abortion and could be weaponized and used against these young girls who are just trying to play high school sports.
So, what my bill does is it creates a national standard where any company that has any access to this data, whether it's a period tracking app, this kind of app, a website search, anything like that, they can only collect and retain what is strictly necessary to provide their service, they cannot serve sell it, they can only share it with you express written consent, and you can ask for it to be deleted at any time.
