We knew this was coming, but that doesn’t make it any easier.
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Whole Women’s Health Organization reversed a nearly 50-year legal precedent established in Roe v. Wade: that abortion is a fundamental constitutional right. The Court in Dobbs upheld the Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks, and ruled that states have the right to restrict or ban abortion access entirely.
The consequences of this decision will be devastating. Thirteen states have laws already in place to ban abortion now that Roe has been overturned. An estimated twenty-six states are poised to move quickly to ban abortion, leaving more than 36 million women of reproductive age – and other people who can become pregnant – without abortion access. And these effects will fall disproportionately on BIPOC communities who already feel the effects of abortion bans and restrictions more heavily. The efforts to ban abortion and remove people’s rights to bodily autonomy spring from this country’s legacy of white supremacy and discrimination, a legacy that overturning Roe will perpetuate.
As our president, Jocelyn Frye stated, “We should also be clear that overturning Roe v. Wade will not bring an end to the attack on abortion; rather, this is only the next step of a broader agenda by extremist politicians to push for a nationwide total ban on abortion at the federal level that they have wanted all along.”
So – what now?
Support the organizations that provide direct support to people who need abortion care & work to destigmatize abortions
- National Network of Abortion Funds, where you can also find your local abortion fund to support.
- Plan C, an information resource for self-managed, at-home abortion with pills.
- AidAccess, a nonprofit organization that provides access to medical abortion by mail in the United States and worldwide.
- We Testify, an organization dedicated to the leadership and representation of people who have abortions.
Advocate for policies at the state level
- Follow Lay of the Land to get the latest developments on the status of abortion rights in your state and be ready to contact your state representatives to oppose restrictions on abortion access and urge support for laws that protect abortion care.
- Use the Bans off our Bodies Talking Points to highlight the impact of the Dobbs decision on BIPOC people, LGBTQ folks, people with disabilities, immigrants, and young people.
Continue to educate yourself on equitable reproductive health policies
- “Our Communities Hold the Solutions”: The Importance of Full-Spectrum Doulas to Reproductive Health and Justice – National Partnership for Women & Families
- Threats On All Fronts: The Links Between the Lack of Abortion Access, Health Care and Workplace Equity – National Partnership for Women & Families
- State Abortion Bans Could Harm Nearly 15 Million Women of Color – National Partnership for Women & Families
- Medication Abortion Care Is Safe and Effective—It’s Time Everyone Has Equal Access – Black Maternal Health Federal Policy Collective
- Paid Sick Days and Abortion Access – National Partnership for Women & Families
- Maternal Health and Abortion Restrictions: How Lack of Access to Quality Care Is Harming Black Women – National Partnership for Women & Families
- A Double Bind: When States Deny Abortion Coverage and Fail to Support Expecting and New Parents – National Partnership for Women & Families
Read more on our reaction to the Dobbs decision
- July 1, 2022: POV: The overturning of ‘Roe‘ ignores economic realities for pregnant people
- June 24, 2022: National Partnership Denounces Supreme Court Roe v. Wade Reversal
- May 3, 2022: Crisis Moment for Abortion Access
If you or someone you know is seeking abortion care, you can find trusted providers and additional resources at INeedAnA.com. If you have questions about your legal rights, contact If/When/How’s Repro Legal Helpline.
