Planned Parenthood in California Marks One-year Anniversary of Supreme Court Decision that Overturned Roe v Wade, Stripping Abortion Rights from Millions of People Across the Country
For Immediate Release: June 23, 2023
Abortion Remains Legal in California and Available at California Planned Parenthood Health Centers; California Continues to Fight for Abortion Access and Reproductive Health Care for All
SACRAMENTO—One year ago, on June 24, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v Wade and reversing nearly 50 years of precedent by eliminating the Constitutional right to abortion across the country. As of today, 20 states have banned or eliminated all or some access to abortion, impacting the ability of millions to access essential health care.
“Together, we have the strength to win the fight for abortion rights and access. The chaos and anguish caused by last year's Supreme Court ruling to rob us of our rights has led to devastation for tens of millions of people and counting. It stripped people of their right to make personal medical decisions; left patients across the country desperate, confused and fearful; and forced clinicians to provide care based on the whims of politicians rather than evidence-based medicine and what is best for the patient —putting health care at risk,” said Jodi Hicks, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC). “But opponents of sexual and reproductive rights are no match for the vast majority of people who support abortion access. Together, we've already secured major victories at the ballot box, including Proposition 1, which enshrined the right to abortion in the state constitution, and passed historic legislation in California, and we’re just getting started. We must continue to hold elected officials accountable for any attempt to control our bodies, our lives, and our futures. And know this: Planned Parenthood won't stop until we will build a just world that includes nationwide reproductive freedom and access to abortion for all. No matter what.”
To mark the somber anniversary, PPAC has launched a new video “One Year Since Dobbs,” across social media channels and with a targeted ad buy, that highlights what is being done in California and to engage supporters in the continued fight ahead of the 2024 election. In addition to the new digital campaign, PPAC continues to highlight the importance of storytelling in the fight for reproductive rights with the “My Body, My Voice” project. The project is currently being hosted at the CA Museum in Sacramento through Sunday the 25th where the public can engage with the art installation, sharing their stories about why reproductive freedom matters to them.
Since the Dobbs decision, California has taken bold action to protect and expand access to abortion and counter the relentless attacks. Last November, Californians overwhelmingly supported Prop 1, adding the right to abortion into the State Constitution. Additionally, the California legislature passed a historic legislative package last year and made $200M in state budget investments to protect and expand access to sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion services.
This year, more than 340 bills seeking to restrict abortion and more than 330 bills seeking to protect and expand access to abortion have been introduced throughout the country. California continues to lead the nation in advancing reproductive freedom by expanding the state's abortion provider network, reducing barriers to care, and protecting abortion patients and providers in this shifting landscape. Currently, there is a 17-bill legislative package in the 2023 session, introduced by the California Legislative Women's Caucus, based upon the recommendations put forth by the CA FAB Council.
The continued work is critical as the impacts of the Dobbs decision and subsequent actions but anti-abortion politicians are creating a public health crisis. According to data from WeCount, in the nine months following the Dobbs decision (July 2022-March 2023), researchers found that nationwide more than 25,000 people were unable to get an abortion from a provider due to the rapid increase in state-level abortion bans. Additionally, more than 80,000 people experienced disruptions in accessing abortion care in their home states with total or six-week abortion bans, giving a sense of the sheer volume of people that likely traveled out-of-state for critical health care.
Bans and restrictions are especially harmful to people who already face barriers to accessing care. The overturning of Roe has disproportionately impacted people of color, people with lower incomes, LGBTQ+ people, and people in other marginalized communities.
Most OBGYNs say racial and ethnic disparities are worse since Dobbs and research found that maternal and infant death rates are higher in states that ban or restrict abortion. Many OBGYNs also say it has made their jobs more difficult and legally perilous than before, while leading to worse outcomes for patients.
What’s more, opponents of sexual and reproductive rights are not stopping at abortion and are also attacking access to birth control, contraception, gender-affirming care, and sex education. 2023 has marked an exponential rise in anti-LGBTQ+ bills. CNN released new data from Movement Advancement Project detailing the dangerous rise in attacks on health care for transgender people with nearly 40% of states restricting gender-affirming care and more considering bans.
“Abortion remains legal in California, and we won’t stop until everyone, regardless of what state they live in, has unfettered access to sexual and reproductive health care and can access abortion care with no barriers. We must demand reproductive freedom from our policy makers. We must say abortion and share our stories to break down the stigma. And we must vote out every single dangerous politician that is implementing extreme bans and restrictions on peoples’ bodily autonomy. We must take back the House and keep the Senate. And we must continue to have a pro-abortion White House. It’s your body, your voice, your vote,” Hicks concluded.