Population Research Shows How Abortion Access and Reproductive Health Services are Best for Everyone and Their Families

Posted: 7/7/2022 (CSDE Research)

CSDE’s Executive Committee members are very concerned about the consequences for population health resulting from the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which effectively overturned Roe v Wade.  For three generations, people in the U.S. have had the legal right to access abortions as part of their reproductive health choices.  While the right to abortion has been in place for several generations, people of color, poor people, and people in rural areas have had little access to abortions.  Furthermore, access has been eroding across the U.S.  The consequences of these health disparities are well documented, showing just how important abortion and the full array of reproductive health services is crucial for the well-being of people and their families. Both the Population Association of America and the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population have each released statements documenting that evidence.  In Washington abortion remains legal and Washington law requires that health provision and insurance cover abortion care.  While abortion care facilities have grown since 2014, 10% of Washington women live in counties without any services (Guttmacher Institute).  UW Medicine also posted a statement that recognizes its unique role in the region and the region’s needs for quality, comprehensive health care.  For our part, CSDE will continue to support the very best demographic scholarship that increases knowledge about the causes and consequences of health disparities and translate those findings for policy and program impact. We must continue that effort!