Statement from Minnesota's Physicians on Supreme Court Decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

June 25, 2022

The undersigned Minnesota medical associations are disappointed and deeply concerned with the Supreme Court's decision June 24 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturns a nearly 50-year precedent set by Roe v. Wade (1973) and reaffirmed by Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992).   

Abortion is a component of comprehensive medical care. Healthcare decisions, including whether to have an abortion, are deeply personal and should be made between a patient and their physician. The implications of this decision are profound and will include disruption and, in some states, elimination of equitable and safe access to medical care for women in the United States. This decision further threatens to exacerbate already unacceptably high maternal morbidity and mortality rates in the United States. 

Many patients across the Midwest will likely be compelled to travel to Minnesota for abortion and related services. We are committed to ensuring access to safe, effective, and equitable healthcare, to upholding the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship, and to protecting physicians and other healthcare professionals from criminal penalties for the delivery of evidence-based healthcare services.  

Minnesota Medical Association 
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology Minnesota Section 
Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians 
Minnesota Association of African American Physicians 
Minnesota Chapter, American College of Physicians