Roe v. Wade Anniversary: Physicians Speak Out
Synopsis: Mass NARAL sponsors a public forum to mark the thirty-year anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
30 Years After Roe v. Wade:
Physicians Speak Out About Reproductive Freedom in Peril
Boston, MA – More than 150 pro-choice supporters gathered in Boston for “Roe at 30: Physicians Speak Out,” a public forum sponsored by Mass NARAL, the state’s leading pro-choice organization. Ken Edelin, MD, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Boston University School of Medicine and leader in the reproductive rights movement delivered the keynote address, highlighting the current threats to women’s reproductive freedom.
"While the country is distracted by a war far away and with concern for our fellow Americans in combat, the U.S. Congress is about to pass a bill which will restrict women's and physician's rights in providing the care which is sometimes, albeit rarely, necessary,” Dr. Edelin said of the upcoming vote on the so-called “partial birth abortion” bill.
And when the President signs it as he has promised, the right wing extremists who want to restrict a woman's right to choose will have won another victory. America, wake up!" Edelin added.
Thirty years after the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, American women face unprecedented threats to their constitutional right to choose. From a Congressional vote to ban safe and legal abortion procedures to denying health care coverage for abortions to federal employees, women’s reproductive freedom is under assault.
“For the first time since Roe v. Wade, anti-choice politicians control the White House and the U.S. Congress. And perhaps most worrisome, they’re one justice away from controlling the Supreme Court too,” said Melissa Kogut, Executive Director of Mass NARAL.
“Tonight our rights hang in the balance. We can no longer count on national policies to protect women’s health and freedom. That’s what makes our work here in Massachusetts all the more crucial,” Kogut added.
Rebekah Gee, MD, a Resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Loren Roth, a medical student at Tufts University School of Medicine also addressed the crowd of supporters. Both spoke about the need for better access to emergency contraception and the important role of physicians in safeguarding reproductive rights.
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