2024 – Beyond Legislation to Lived Reality for All

As originally published by the LA Sentinel on December 21, 2023

As we enter 2024, we’re ready to face the ever-changing landscape of sexual and reproductive health, with a keen focus on the ripple effect of nationwide policy decisions on residents of California. The new year promises an unsettling mix of challenges and transformative opportunities.

The post-Roe landscape has ignited ongoing controversy. Nationwide, women are facing the life-threatening consequences of constantly changing and unclear abortion laws. Patients are making cross-country journeys without family or friends to face medical procedures alone and fighting in court for their lives. Meanwhile, healthcare providers in states with limited access to abortion are caught between their oaths and the laws of that state, unable to provide the care that a pregnant patient may need.

For now, California residents remain shielded by constitutional rights that affirm our autonomy over reproductive choices. However, policy shifts nationwide could strip these essential freedoms. A potential national ban from Congress still endangers our struggle for reproductive rights, and a conservative US Supreme Court could further erode abortion access through federal rulings.

Redefining Rights: More Than Choice

California remains a beacon of reproductive rights, yet challenges persist. We are watching as the ability to make personal choices slowly dissolves without considering the long-term effects. It’s sad to listen as abortion access is talked about in religious or political terms and not the real-world issue that affects people’s lives.

Maintaining reproductive choice is especially critical in Black communities. Nearly one in four women in the United States has had an abortion by age 45, and the vast majority are Black and Hispanic women with low incomes aged 20-29 years old. These statistics highlight the intersection of race, economic status, and lack of healthcare access, which should be addressed with policies that support all people. Full stop.

Health Care by Us, for Us

Improving clinical care will also further define the path of sexual and reproductive health in California. In the new year, the mission of healthcare professionals and policymakers should be to fight for and find actionable solutions to reproductive health disparities, including high rates of maternal and infant mortality in Black communities.

Let’s promote communication, trust, and improved outcomes by championing programs, initiatives, and training in culturally competent trauma-informed health care. Furthermore, let’s encourage our best and brightest graduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to bring their talents to Black and Brown communities so that care provided for us is given by people who look like us. Black clinical practitioners must be part of reshaping our health systems by sharing their lived experiences and the real-world implications of healthcare disparities.

Forecast: Rights as Reality

The good news is, regardless of race, gender, or party, most Americans (85 percent) are making it clear: sexual and reproductive health decisions should be left to individuals and their doctors.

As advocates, clinicians, and community leaders, our charge is to look beyond binary choices and to consider the kaleidoscope of human experiences. Everyone should be able to make choices that are right for them and their unique circumstance.

The road ahead will require resilience, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to justice. As we prepare for 2024, let us commit ourselves to pursuing a future where equitable access to all health care is not just protected by law but is lived as a reality for all.

Margot Taylor, Vice President of Strategy and Advocacy, and Kara James, nurse practitioner, are founding members of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles’s Black Health Initiative, which aims to address health inequities in Black communities by providing high-quality health care and education.