WHEN ROE V. WADE FALLS, WE MUST BE READY TO HELP
I have worked at Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest for over three decades, and the movement for abortion access has never been more threatened than it is now. Throughout my time, I’ve witnessed countless political attempts to roll back our rights and prevent people from getting access to the basic and critical care they need. Now, as we await the Supreme Court’s final decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, we have to be prepared for what is likely to come: the fall of Roe v. Wade.
If the court’s recent draft opinion leak is close to its final ruling, nearly 50 years of precedent will be reversed, and the constitutional right to abortion will come to an end. The power to decide if someone can access safe and legal abortion will fall back on the states, and as we’ve already seen in places like Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and Kentucky, lawmakers will likely move quickly to pass dangerous abortion bans in more than half of all states across the country. The harmful impact of this legislation will be felt immediately and disproportionately, and patients seeking basic critical care will suffer.
Even now, while the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling is still the law of the land, people of color, immigrants, people with low incomes and those who live in rural areas already experience added barriers to access abortion care. People in communities that have historically lacked access to health care services continuously encounter challenges — lack of insurance, taking time off at work, the cost of transportation and lodging, securing child care and more. Once Roe v. Wade is overturned, these barriers will be exacerbated, and more and more people will be forced to flee their home state to get abortion care and struggle to meet their basic health care needs. The Guttmacher Institute recently issued a report showing a nearly 3,000 percent increase in out-of-state women of reproductive age who would now find their nearest clinic for abortion services located in California. We’ve already seen an increase in out-of-state patients at our health centers since the beginning of this year, and we anticipate this number will increase.
California, where abortion will remain legal and protected, will serve as a safe haven for reproductive freedom. As a health care provider that proudly offers safe and compassionate abortion services, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest and abortion providers throughout the state have been preparing for this moment so that all who come to us will be able to get timely health care. We have been working to expand access at each of our 19 health centers in San Diego, Riverside and Imperial Counties, and through our care coordination program, we are preparing to provide patient navigation services and resources for travel and housing support for patients who need it. We will never turn away any patient for lack of funds, and we will be able to support patients who cannot afford the cost of an abortion procedure through the Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest Abortion Access Fund.
This work is not only necessary, it is our duty, and it’s how we fight back. Now is not the time to retreat. We must be willing to support each other and be ready to help. No matter what the Supreme Court’s final decision is, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest will continue to be here to do what we do best — provide compassionate and high-quality health care to all who need us, regardless of income, ZIP code and other barriers that prevent people from being able to make decisions about their health and their lives.
Deciding if and when to start a family is a basic human right, and forcing anyone who does not wish to become a parent to carry a pregnancy against their will is an injustice that we should all be outraged by. This is a challenging moment for patients, for reproductive health providers, and for all who support reproductive freedom, but we’re not backing down. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund will continue to fight back against dangerous legislation designed to ban or restrict abortion care, and Planned Parenthood will be here to provide our full range of reproductive health care services with compassion and support.
Planned Parenthood affirms everyone’s right to make decisions about their own health, lives and futures, and our doors are open to all.
Gutierrez is the vice president of external affairs at Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. She lives in San Diego.