WAFP Statement on Supreme Court Decision Affecting Abortion Care

BELLEVUE, Wash.—The Washington Academy of Family Physicians (WAFP) issued the following statement following the US Supreme Court decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization:

The Washington Academy of Family Physicians is dismayed by the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The ruling overturns longstanding protections afforded by Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, jeopardizing patient health, amplifying health disparities, and diminishing access to evidence-based medical care.

We believe access to abortion is a critical component of providing comprehensive reproductive health care. Decisions about what is best for a patient’s health should be made by a patient and their physician. We also encourage and support preventing the need for abortion care by providing universal access to contraception and improving the quality and availability of sex education.

In Washington, we are fortunate. A 1991 initiative supported the right of a patient to choose to have an abortion. Our state’s leadership has maintained that support in the decades since. We are grateful for our residents’ foresight on this issue, and we worry for others in areas where similar protections are not provided.

The WAFP will continue to advocate for physicians’ ability to practice evidence-based medicine and for equitable access to medical care. We will continue to oppose the unnecessary regulation of evidence-based practice of medicine; intrusion into the patient-physician relationship; and restrictions on the delivery of safe, timely, and comprehensive care, including abortion and other reproductive care.

Use this link to find other WAFP and AAFP policies related to abortion and reproductive health care.