In Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the United States Supreme Court delivered a devastating blow against civil rights and health equity. By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Court abandoned nearly 50 years of precedent and for the first time in its history took away a fundamental right – the constitutional right to abortion. With States already taking action to ban abortion outright, this decision will have significant harmful impacts for all, but will disproportionally affect those that already face the worst health inequities – People of Color, low-income individuals, and the LGBTQIA+ community.
Abortion is an essential component of reproductive health care. We cannot return to the era of severe infection, infertility, and death from self-induced or substandard surgical abortions. For it to be a safe and accessible choice is crucial to ensuring an individual’s right to determine when and if procreation is appropriate for them. To remove this right diminishes a person’s agency in self-determination and removes the freedom to chart the course of their life.
PHPDA believes that individuals have the right to make reproductive choices for themselves and to have them honored at every stage. We affirm our commitment to ensuring that our community has safe and equitable access to the healthcare services and resources they need to experience health and wellness.
Some of our grantees have issued their own statements in response to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. With respect and humility, we offer you links to those statements here:
Global Perinatal Services
“As so many Americans celebrate and mourn the overturning of Roe V. Wade Supreme Court decision, GPS is committed to holding space, offering support and resources for anyone needing them. Especially in times like these, we stand by and are committed to serving women and their families in whatever capacity they may need.”
Open Arms
“Open Arms firmly believes that all individuals have the right to have their reproductive choices honored at every stage, including if or when to become a biological parent. Open Arms stands in solidarity with all of our families and with all of our partner reproductive justice organizations in the struggle to keep abortion safe and accessible for all people who seek it. We reiterate our commitment to our communities to support their journeys through the health system with equitable treatment and without stigma and judgement, in a way that meets each individual and family’s unique needs.”
Rainier Valley Midwives
“Remember as we face this moment of escalated threat and harm to the sovereignty of our bodies: midwives and healers have always been the heart of wellness for Black, Indigenous, & people of color communities. Remember our communities have come together, time and time again, to defy and dismantle systems of white supremacy that have long sought to control us through enslavement, rape, forced birth, and forced sterilization. Remember our presence here, now, is a gift from generations of survivors, midwives, and healers whose wisdom, tenderness, and skill, have and will nurture our safety, abundance, and liberation for generations to come. @birthcenterequitybce”
