Blog 6/24/22

Abortion is health care. Health care is a right. Today, that right came under attack at the Supreme Court.

Today’s decision tossed 50 years of precedent on abortion rights out the window. The majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization takes direct aim at a right to health care that should be sacrosanct. By overturning Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), the Court has decided that access to abortions or abortion-related care is no longer a constitutional right.

With today’s ruling, the Court has endangered the lives of people across this country. Revoking the right to abortions and abortion-related care will not stop abortions from occurring. What will change is that abortions will become medically unsafe. The past has told us that major harm and death will result because of the Court’s decision.

This is not how healthcare should work. Women, men, and non-binary people who need abortions and abortion-related care should be able to get them. All people deserve access to safe, affirming, and low cost health care.

We will stand unswerving on a founding principle that health care is a right, not a privilege. This includes the right to reproductive and abortion-related care. While we affirm this belief in our work every day, it bears repeating today. It also shows that all of our rights are on the line right now, as state lawmakers will be further emboldened to test the limits of our hard-won civil rights.

As a reminder, abortion is still legal in Ohio. The Supreme Court overturned Roe and Casey, but thankfully, the Ohio legislature has not yet passed a “trigger ban.” A “trigger ban” would have outlawed abortions and abortion-related care in our state right away.

We cannot relent – these times call for all to Care for All.

• To learn how the Court’s decision makes it harder to get abortions and abortion-related care in Ohio, click here for more info from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
• To find the nearest abortion clinic in or around Ohio, click here to access Pro-Choice Ohio’s directory.
• If you are able, we encourage you to go to a demonstration and contact your elected officials in the Ohio Legislature. For continued updates, stay connected.

These are just a few ways we can stay engaged in the coming days. Please follow Equitas Health’s social media channels for updates on demonstrations and/or rallies.  We also welcome tips and leads from you. Know about a demonstration, rally or event related to this issue?  Please reach out to Rhea Debussy, Ph.D. (She/Her), Director of External Affairs at RheaDebussy@EquitasHealth.com

Again, abortion is still legal in Ohio. In today’s concurrent opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas indicated that cases involving queer sex, same-sex relationships, and marriage equality could be next in the Supreme Court’s sights. We must commit to standing up and preserving these rights. Otherwise, we will lose them.