The National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Headlines Opinion
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, reversing previous decisions on Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). The 1973 landmark decision codified a person’s right to abortion nationwide, and the ruling on Dobbs removes this constitutional protection, leaving access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion, decided by individual states. It is estimated that 26 states and 58 percent of people of reproductive age will lose access to comprehensive reproductive health services.
The United States is facing a maternal and infant health crisis, with the number of maternal health deaths steadily rising since 1987, when this data was first collected. Black maternal mortality is three times higher than those of white counterparts due to structural racism, lack of access to high-quality medical care and medical implicit bias. Research has shown that restricting people’s access to family planning and reproductive health services increases maternal mortality, disproportionally affecting communities already disenfranchised by systems of oppression, specifically Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
Supporting women and birthing people throughout their lifespan is integral to attaining optimal health, increasing socioeconomic status for children and families, and reducing violence against women. The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) supports a comprehensive women’s health policy developed by local health department experts that affirms the need to strengthen and provide support for women’s health, family planning and reproductive health services. It is recommended that local, state and federal public health agencies guarantee women have access to information, so they can make informed health and health-care decisions and ensure that that information is not restricted by regulation, laws or health-care providers’ beliefs. NACCHO acknowledges the divisiveness of the debate. We believe that united we are stronger, and we are committed to supporting local health departments members, communities and birthing people most impacted by this decision.
About NACCHO: The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation’s nearly 3,000 local governmental health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information about NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.
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