The June 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision—which removed the right to abortion in the United States—has had immediate consequences for access to reproductive care. Nearly two years on from the ruling, it is clear the repercussions extend much more broadly into health care systems, legal systems, and society as a whole.
Today, The Lancet published a pair of articles exploring these impacts and calling for comprehensive research to gain greater understanding of the myriad ways the Dobbs decision has changed legal, ethical, and societal landscapes in the United States. Authored by National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Council Vice Chair Claire Brindis; NAM President Victor J. Dzau; current or former members of the National Academies’ Standing Committee on Reproductive Health, Equity, and Society; and staff, the two articles examine several critical issues that have grown more visible in the two years since the Dobbs decision.
Exploring the Societal and Health Workforce Implications of Dobbs
Looking beyond the immediate implications for reproductive care access in the United States, the two articles consider a range of societal and health care workforce implications:
In “Societal implications of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision,” the authors explore the broad societal impacts that extend beyond reproductive care access. Following the Dobbs decision, new restrictions on abortion access in many U.S. states have presented immediate challenges related to accessing reproductive health care. However, the decision also has far-reaching consequences—including equity and economic concerns—for states, health care systems, and society. The authors call for the creation of a national research agenda to better understand the many societal implications.
In “Health-care workforce implications of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision,” the authors examine effects across the U.S. health workforce as well as the need for more robust research to gain a greater understanding of these impacts. In the past two years, almost all parts of the health care workforce have grappled with the emerging legal and ethical challenges arising from the Dobbs decision. The types of challenges vary across states and institutions but have clear implications for education, training opportunities, provider safety, and more. The authors discuss the urgent need for comprehensive research to assess and address these challenges.
“Two years out from the Dobbs decision we are seeing that the impacts are truly cascading across the health care sector and our society,” said Dzau. “New challenges have been created and existing inequities in reproductive health care access have been exacerbated. These articles make the case for exploring these issues holistically and developing a robust research agenda to make headway in improving women’s health in the United States.”
The National Academies’ Focus on Reproductive Health, Equity, and Society
The articles published in The Lancet this month are among the newest resources affiliated with the Standing Committee on Reproductive Health, Equity, and Society. The committee, chaired by Brindis, was first convened by the NAM in 2022, reflecting the Academy’s commitment to advancing women’s health. In September 2023, the group was announced as a formal National Academies Standing Committee tasked with assessing health, economic, social, and policy implications of access to reproductive health services and identifying ways to improve health and well-being through reproductive health care access. The committee roster features members with expertise in clinical care, economics, equity, public health, communications, law, ethics, policy, sociology, technology, interpersonal violence, and more.
Through workshops other activities, the committee provides a venue for the exchange of ideas among federal, state, and local government agencies; the private sector; the academic community; and other relevant stakeholders. Committee workshops cover a variety of topics related to reproductive health care access, including pressing issues around contraception access, harassment and violence against physicians who provide reproductive care, the legal landscape post-Dobbs, and more. Visit the National Academies’ reproductive health, equity, and society topic page to learn more about upcoming events and relevant resources across the organization.
In addition to the work of the committee, the NAM has an active portfolio of activities around women’s health and reproductive health care. The Academy ’s 2023 Annual Meeting Scientific Symposium—entitled “Women’s Health: From Cells to Society”—featured discussions on topics like maternal and reproductive health and reproductive health across the lifespan. During the event, Dzau hosted a President’s Forum on “Revolutionizing Women’s Health: Envisioning a New Era of Progress, Policy, and Research.”
