The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice—in the courts, in public policy, and in our society.
Abortion Access and Contraception Access Are Both Critical
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey and declared that the U.S. Constitution no longer protects the right to abortion.
This decision marks the end of a constitutional right to abortion for people across the country. This is the first time that the United States Supreme Court has taken away a fundamental constitutional right—a right that women, and all people who can get pregnant, have relied on for nearly 50 years.
The fight to protect abortion access will require that we stand in solidarity with partners from across the reproductive rights and health movement, including those advocating for contraceptive access.
The decision also threatens our fundamental right to contraception. The right to abortion and right to contraception share the same constitutional foundation – this decision offers a blueprint for undermining or overturning the right to contraception. At the same time, we are seeing increased attacks on birth control by extremist politicians at the state and federal level, and the decision will only embolden them. Making meaningful decisions about our reproductive lives requires access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care ranging from contraception to abortion to maternity care.
We thank and appreciate all of the organizations that are working to support the fullness of people’s reproductive lives–and encourage you to speak boldly about the importance of abortion and its connection to the issues that matter to you and your communities.
Please contact [email protected] if you would like talking points and other resources that can help you make those connections clearly.
