The evolving landscape of women’s health post-Roe v. Wade leads to significant challenges and changes in reproductive rights.
Behind the statistics are countless women facing impossible choices, their health and well-being hanging in the balance.
Credit: Gayatri Malhotra/Unsplash
This post was originally published on Defender Network
Two years ago, the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson ripped away a right women across America had known for nearly five decades. Since then, a patchwork of abortion access has emerged, leaving many women scrambling for care.
The right to choose has vanished almost entirely in 14 states, forcing women to carry pregnancies to term with few exceptions. Others have slammed the door shut after just six weeks, a time when many women haven’t even realized they’re pregnant.
This seismic shift has sparked outrage, with protests erupting nationwide and clinics in states with access facing a surge in demand. While some women can travel to states with fewer restrictions, the journey is often fraught with logistical nightmares and financial burdens.
The number of abortions performed overall may not have dropped significantly, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Behind the statistics are countless women facing impossible choices, their health and well-being hanging in the balance.
Dr. Donna Adams-Pickett, a leading voice in Black maternal health, spoke to the Defender to discuss the ripple effects of this decision, particularly on women of color, and offer guidance on navigating this new reality.
Defender: How have the health outcomes for women changed in the two years since the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, particularly regarding complications from restricted access to essential health care services?
Dr. Donna Adams-Pickett: While we don’t have hard numbers now, we have projections. We see a projected decrease in the number of medical students and residents choosing obstetrics as a field of interest.
The projection is that in the next five years, we’ll have 3000 fewer OBGYNs than we have now. Most medical students and residents have cited their concerns with the decision’s reversal, making them vulnerable to litigation. They need to learn to navigate some of these laws to provide the best care possible to these patients.
So, because most of the women in this country, at least a third, live in maternal healthcare deserts already. To decrease those numbers even further is catastrophic to women. When we have people who don’t want to go into OBGYN, we have fewer individuals who are there to care for women, just even for gynecological issues like cervical, endometrial, ovarian cancer, and fibroid disease. Many people look at this through the lens of obstetrical care, but it also impacts caregivers.
Keywords: Women’s health, Roe v. Wade, Abortion rights, Health policy, Reproductive rights
#WomensHealth #ReproductiveRights #RoeVWade
