Nearly 50 years after Roe v. Wade affirmed the legal right to abortion, our country stands at a crossroads. We can continue down the dangerous road mapped out by anti-abortion politicians and forged by the Trump administration, or we can take a path towards a future in which reproductive freedom is a reality for every person.
During his tenure, former President Donald Trump did everything in his power to deny access to sexual and reproductive health care, and his legacy will continue for generations after he packed the Supreme Court. Anti-abortion justices now have a 6-3 advantage as 18 cases that could overturn or gut Roe sit just one step from their docket. Gutting Roe would be the culmination of the decades-long campaign by state politicians to build barriers to care so restrictive that the legal right to abortion is virtually meaningless.
Over the last 10 years alone, 480 abortion restrictions have been enacted in states across America, disproportionately pushing abortion out of reach for people who are Black and brown and those with a limited income, who are already forced to navigate a legacy of racist and discriminatory systems.
This is nothing new. In Massachusetts, politicians responded to Roe v. Wade by passing laws that created barriers intended to make abortion care less accessible — laws that stayed on the books for decades. While Massachusetts recognized the right to safe, legal abortion, not everyone could get the care they needed. Late last year, our elected leaders acknowledged that these barriers were excessive.
In the waning days of 2020, Massachusetts repealed these harsh abortion restrictions by passing provisions of the ROE Act. People facing fatal fetal diagnoses later in pregnancy can finally receive abortion care in our state instead of being forced across the country for care. Meanwhile, young adults ages 16 and 17 no longer need a parent or judge’s permission to have an abortion. We were able to reform our abortion laws while fighting back against Trump’s dangerous policies.
Now, we must seize the opportunity to not only protect the right to abortion but also improve access to care for people inside and outside the commonwealth.
In November, more than 81 million voters endorsed a new administration that will trust science and respect reproductive rights. The incoming Biden administration must meet the moment and build a cabinet comprised of health care experts who will actively support sexual and reproductive health care throughout the country.
The new administration has an opportunity to reverse harmful Trump-era policies and take swift action to expand access to sexual and reproductive health care. Yesterday, Biden took the first step by signing a series of executive actions to repeal the global gag rule and review the Title X domestic gag rule, which force providers out of federal family planning programs if they even offer patients information about abortion care. Now, Biden must end restrictions on abortion coverage to the fullest extent of his presidential powers and direct all executive departments and agencies to rescind harmful policies and regulations. This means ending the global and domestic gag rules and rescinding rules that allow employers to restrict employees’ access to birth control coverage and other reproductive health care because of the employer’s religious objection. The administration must also end the Federal Drug Administration’s restrictions on medication abortion for the duration of the pandemic and into the future.
As we look ahead to changes in national policy, our local policies must support the health and wellness of all people in Massachusetts. The Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts will fight for policies that ensure every person can access care, regardless of their ZIP code, income level, immigration status or race. We are prioritizing legislation that aims to alleviate the impacts of systemic racism in health care and in our communities. We have a responsibility to address the most pressing issues Planned Parenthood patients face at every intersection of their lives and identities.
Now is the time to reimagine the future of sexual and reproductive health care. Now is the time to ensure that everyone has agency and autonomy over their health, bodies and lives. Now is the time to safeguard that reality for everyone and to center Black, Latino and Indigenous people and other people of color as we work to deliver bold solutions that improve their lives, livelihood and health.
Two public health crises — COVID-19 and systemic racism — threaten to further erode health care access. We must fight to make sure it's an undeniable human right.
We cannot mark Roe’s 48th anniversary without acknowledging that the legal right to abortion isn’t enough when access and personal decision-making are denied. We need to expand access to ensure that reproductive freedom is a reality for every person.
Dr. Jen Childs-Roshak is Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts CEO and Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund president.
