Shefali Luthra, The 19th

I’m Shefali Luthra, The 19th’s reproductive health reporter. I’ve covered health care for more than a decade, starting at the Texas Tribune, where I wrote about abortion restrictions and the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, before moving to KFF Health News. I’m passionate about covering health care in a way that highlights policy’s human impact. I love hearing from readers about how to do that.

My work emphasizes abortion policy, fertility care and contraception, and every other corner of reproductive health. I’ve contributed to multiple award-winning projects, including our coverage of the fall of Roe v. Wade, which won a 2023 Online Journalism Award, and a series on pregnancy in post-Roe America, which won a Murrow Award. My book about the loss of abortion rights, called Undue Burden, published in May 2024 and was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize.

I live in Washington, D.C., and am a graduate of Brown University, where I studied English literature. When not reporting, I’m an avid runner and ardent fan of Julien Baker, the Boston Celtics and the Jacksonville Jaguars.