Statement from the Planned Parenthood National Medical Committee

The court's actions represent an unprecedented and deeply offensive intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship and the regulation of medical practice, and it threatens women's health.

In a radical departure from more than 30 years of Supreme Court precedent, the court has now ruled that politicians, not medical experts, are best suited to make medical decisions. The Supreme Court has abandoned protections for women's health and given politicians the green light to restrict abortion access even further. The hardliners who passed the federal abortion ban have a long-term agenda to ban all abortions and this ruling was just a first step. 

The PPFA National Medical Committee strongly opposes this intrusion by politicians and the Supreme Court into the private, personal medical decisions of women and families. The practice of medicine should be determined by licensed health care professionals, not by legislation or court rulings. 

As health care providers, our duty is to our patients. Protecting their health and safety is our paramount concern. When a woman makes the deeply personal decision to end a pregnancy, she needs trusted medical care, not political interference.

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The National Medical Committee, an advisory committee of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Board of Directors, is composed of 40 preventive care, medical ethics, research, and reproductive and sexual health experts from across the United States. The National Medical Committee develops medical policy recommendations for PPFA and ensures the provision of quality medical care by PPFA affiliates in consultation with the PPFA Medical Affairs Division.