Today, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which significantly impacts access to a critical component of healthcare in America, and leaves many infertility patients confused and scared, with many unanswered questions. Undoubtedly, IVF accessibility, safety, and success are now in peril in many states.
We denounce the decision of Dobbs V Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The potential effects for the infertility/ IVF / ART Community are disastrous and weighing heavily on our minds. We are a community who already faces many barriers on the path to parenthood. We are an industry that relies on access to the full range of healthcare options, including; prescription birth control, embryo creation, culture, freezing, biopsy, and discard of supernumerary embryos, and removal of fetal tissue from fallopian tubes and uteruses.
This decision will cause patient harm, and further marginalization, stigma, and inaccessibility in the infertility community. There are far-reaching and sinister implications of this decision that have yet to transpire, and we echo and recognize the fear and anxiety of the infertility community.
Our top priority remains our patients and providing best-in-class fertility support throughout our software platform, ART Compass. As we all process this, we reflect on our purpose.
The landmark 1973 Supreme Court Roe v. Wade ruling established that our constitutional right to privacy “is broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.” This right was reaffirmed in 1991 in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The 1973 Roe decision was decided 7-2 and written by a Nixon appointee. The 1987 Casey decision upholding Roe was written by a Reagan appointee on a Court with 8 justices appointed by GOP presidents. Revoking Roe is a radical, political act that calls into question the legitimacy of the Court, it destabilizes our democracy, and sets the unconscionable precedent to take away constitutionally protected rights, something that has never EVER before occurred in U.S. history
This great country relies on a doctrine called “stare decisis” to promotes consistent, reliable, and predictable development of the law, while assuring the public of the court’s integrity. Precedent plays an important role in stability in our democracy. Disagreeing with a prior decision, such as Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey—and the court has emphasized this on several occasions—is simply not enough to overturn precedent.
Hundreds of state laws have been passed to strangle access to safe, legal abortion care and the numerous clinics that have already been shuttered due to these laws. The Supreme Court is charged with ensuring the American people the promise of equal justice under law. This law federally protects a pregnant person’s right to health during pregnancy. The ramifications of revoking a constitutional right to reproductive healthcare are staggering, and will unjustly and unequally impact the US population. As well, the implications for infertility care and the possible impacts on embryo creation, storage, and use cannot be ignored. We call for the immediate application of the law, with only justice in mind, rejecting radicalized political agendas.
Additional resources:
Hey Jane: treating patients and providing high-quality abortion access.
National Network of Abortion Funds” https://abortionfunds.org
ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE is a practical support network for people living in and visiting California for abortion care. ACCESS needs spare rooms, $$$, and volunteer drivers. https://accessrj.org
For those in a position to do so, donate to AbortionFunds.org, KeepOurClinics.org, PayPal.me/IWRising.
If someone you know needs an abortion, send them to ineedana.com.
Get educated on abortion pills. Go to PlanCPills.or
