June 29, 2020 – With today’s decision, the Supreme Court has affirmed what we've long known, and what research from Ibis Reproductive Health and our colleagues helped codify into law four years ago: it is unconstitutional for states to impose medically unnecessary “admitting privileges” laws which limit access to abortion.
Today, we celebrate the decision in June Medical Services v. Russo that will keep Louisiana’s three abortion clinics open and ensure health care providers have legal standing to challenge restrictions on behalf of their patients. However, we know there are still too many obstacles to getting abortion care and there’s more work to do in partnership with Black, indigenous, and people of color communities who are most impacted by restrictive state laws when they decide to end a pregnancy. Independent clinics, like the one at the center of today’s case, play a vital role in delivering care to people who need it and we thank them for showing up for their communities. Ibis will stand beside our partners in the fight for reproductive justice until abortion care is truly accessible, covered by insurance, and affordable for all, no matter how much money you have or where you live.
Our vision of success is an inclusive and just world where everyone has the power to exercise their human right to live a pleasurable, safe, and healthy sexual and reproductive life. Restrictive abortion laws disproportionately impact communities of color, LGBTQ+ people, youths, and people with low incomes. These laws are yet another burden our society places on communities most impacted by systems of oppression, and they contribute to the significant inequities within our health care system. At Ibis, we will work to help lift that burden by continuing to conduct research that centers the people who are most likely to gain from expanded access to quality, affordable services and information, and policy change that advances human and reproductive rights and justice.