Oregon Academy of Family Physicians Statement on Dobbs V. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
The Oregon Academy of Family Physicians Statement on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Decision
The Oregon Academy of Family Physicians is disappointed by the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision, released today, to overturn 50 years of precedent related to access to reproductive health care by invalidating Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. This decision fundamentally interferes in the essential relationship between patients and physicians. The OAFP opposes criminalizing the provision of evidence-based health care, and opposes criminalizing the act of assisting patients in accessing that care (OAFP Policy, 2019, 2020). We have long maintained that health care decisions, including whether to terminate a pregnancy, should be made by the patient in consultation with a physician. Where such decisions may violate a physician’s personally held moral or ethical beliefs, appropriate referrals must be made (AAFP Policy on Reproductive Decisions, 2017).
In Oregon, our legislature acted in 2017 to affirmatively protect the right of individuals to access the full spectrum of reproductive health services, including abortion care. That provides some legal certainty for our members who provide care for Oregonians. Additionally, we are pleased that in 2022, Oregon’s legislature dedicated funding to try to remove financial barriers for people who cannot access reproductive health care for financial reasons.
One impact of the decision reached today is that abortion is all-but-immediately illegal in 22 states, and four other states may act swiftly to implement bans. For this reason, we anticipate an increased need for access to this care from our members for patients residing outside Oregon, either through travel to Oregon or via telemedicine. Abortion bans force clinicians into untenable positions of facing potentially unlimited personal and professional liability even when providing care consistent with their best medical judgment, scientific evidence, and moral and ethical duty.
For these reasons, we call on Oregon policymakers to provide guidance and clarity on the impact of this decision to Oregon physicians and patients, and to enact any necessary statutory protections for our members and other health care providers who offer reproductive health care to Oregonians and those seeking abortion services from other states to ensure that access to this care continues uninterrupted and Oregon physicians are protected from prosecution.
The OAFP has compiled information on our website about reproductive health care and relevant Oregon policies and statutes. That page includes links to up-to-date information from AAFP. Primary care physicians should be prepared for ongoing discussions in their clinic, and questions from their patients regarding access to these services.
The Oregon Academy of Family Physicians is a membership organization for more than 1,700 physicians, residents, and medical students across the state who provide primary care for Oregonians.
The OAFP advocates for sustainable, equitable health care in our communities; connects members with each other and to their sense of purpose; and inspires lifelong learning in the current and future generations of family doctors.
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A PDF version of this statement can be accessed HERE.