June 24, 2022
The MetroWest Health Foundation has long championed health equity as a fundamental principle in health care access and delivery. Today’s Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs Vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization threatens that principle by allowing states to ban access to abortions. This decision will further erode women’s health, especially for women affected by poverty and racism. Women in the United States are more likely than those in other wealthy countries to die of preventable causes, including complications from pregnancy. This inequity is even greater for women of color and those with lower incomes.
This ruling will make reproductive services inaccessible, provide fewer options for women and health care providers, and will create higher levels of fear, stress, and anxiety for those seeking maternal health care, contraceptive care, and reproductive health services. Actions by states to criminalize basic health care services will only push people away from accessing quality health care.
We remain committed to the principle of health equity and will continue to use our role as convener, data gatherer and community health champion to understand the impact that this ruling will have on the communities we serve.
For more Equity Matters, visit Foundation Publications.