Protecting Health after Dobbs

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health Law and Policy
• Constitutional Law and Medicine
• Public Health and Healthcare Access

Background:

• The Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the federal constitutional right to abortion.
• Discussions often focus on reproductive choice, but the ruling also significantly impacted the protection of health as a check on reproductive regulation.
• This erosion of health protections has led to restrictive abortion bans, impacting patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of the Dobbs decision on the preservation of health as a critical interest in reproductive regulation.
• To examine how the elimination of federal abortion rights affects healthcare providers' ability to manage patient health.
• To evaluate the efficacy of federal regulatory approaches in addressing health harms stemming from abortion bans.

Main Methods:

• Legal and policy analysis of the Dobbs decision and its implications for reproductive healthcare.
• Review of existing federal regulations and legislative actions concerning abortion and reproductive health.
• Examination of case studies and provider experiences in states with restrictive abortion bans.

Main Results:

• The Dobbs decision has created a landscape where restrictive abortion bans cause providers to deny or delay essential care, jeopardizing patient health.
• Federal regulatory attempts to mitigate these health harms are limited by Congress's historical exceptionalization of abortion, which devalues health considerations.
• Patients, including women and transgender men, face significant health risks due to reproductive control measures.

Conclusions:

• The elimination of federal abortion rights under Dobbs has critically undermined the protection of patient health.
• Existing federal regulations are insufficient to address the health consequences of abortion bans.
• Federal legislation is necessary to ensure comprehensive and lasting protection for the health of individuals targeted for reproductive control.