
Statement on the U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs Decision
Media Contact
The Supreme Court has overturned Roe. V. Wade, ending the 50–year Constitutional protection for abortion. This reversal opens the door for what will likely be over half of the states in the U.S. restricting and even outright banning abortion and bodily autonomy — human rights and essential healthcare services.
Nearly 1 in 4 women (24%) in the U.S. have an abortion by the age of 45. Taking away safe and accessible facilities and care will be catastrophic — particularly for rural, poor, Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA+ people. This decision does not end abortion. It will end safe abortion for many across the country, restricting access to critical reproductive health services at a time when the United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates of high-income countries.
This decision sets a dangerous legal precedent for states that plan to restrict and take away women’s essential right to make important decisions that affect the health and well-being of themselves and their families.
This decision also paves the road for further limiting the rights and autonomy of all Americans, and it damages the United States’ global standing on human rights – weakening its ability to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights and legitimizing other governments’ actions to restrict rights and access to care.
We stand with experts, scholars, and activists in our commitment to safe abortion, accessible healthcare, and bodily autonomy.