EXECUTIVE MEMO Conrad Amenta, SFMMS Executive Director
SAN FRANCISCO MARIN MEDICAL SOCIETY WILL FIGHT FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS The news arrived on Monday, May 2022, and what has been the source of speculation, fear, and anxiety for many millions of American women and men was confirmed: the Supreme Court of the United States, featuring three newly appointed justices establishing a clear conservative majority, had drafted an opinion that will overturn the federal constitutional protections on abortion rights determined by its 1973 decision, Roe v. Wade. Should this draft opinion become the opinion of the court, a gulf will open in America between states that allow abortion and states that ban or restrict it. More than ever, there will be two Americas, defined by a partisan divide, where very different values and laws determine how citizens are permitted to live. It is expected that 13 states will ban abortion immediately or very quickly, and 11 could restrict access, affecting access to vital care for up to 69 million Americans. The number of patients traveling to California to access abortion services could increase from 46,000 to 1.4 million, with drastic implications for statewide access to medical care. In San Francisco and Marin, we were quick to assert our values and dedication to longstanding policy that “abortions are medical decisions to be made by the patient and her physician, and […] no woman should be denied the right to have an abortion if that is the decision she reaches in consultation with her physician.” San Francisco City Attorney and former Assemblymember for San Francisco, David Chiu, has partnered with the San Francisco Bar Association and SFMMS to establish a pool of pro bono lawyers to advise women from out-of-state who are seeking an abortion in California. SFMMS President, Michael Schrader, MD, appeared at a press conference at City Hall to announce our support and collaboration in the effort. Earlier that week, Dr. Schrader had also appeared at a Planned Parenthood press conference and declared that we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with American women in defense of their reproductive rights.
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SAN FRANCISCO MARIN MEDICINE APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2022
SFMMS has a proud history of fighting for access to abortion services, including: • Authored policy adopted by the American Medical Association (AMA) making the national association for physicians explicitly pro-choice. • Authored California Medical Association (CMA)/AMA policy declaring that European medical abortion medications should be available in the US. • Conducted two national mailings to over 60,000 US medical students urging them to learn about and provide abortion.
• Participated in UCSF medical education forums on reproductive health issues.
• Authored CMA/AMA policy denouncing harassment and murder of physicians providing abortion. • Authored CMA/AMA policy denouncing the deceptive anti-choice “clinics” pretending to provide reproductive health services.
• Joined with Planned Parenthood and other such groups to oppose proposed ballot and other initiatives that would restrict access to the full range of reproductive services.
• Authored CMA policy urging that approved medical abortion medications be promptly evaluated by the FDA for wider availability via pharmacies.
Much about the recent Supreme Court opinion is uncertain and may change in the coming weeks. No matter the outcome, I pledge that SFMMS will continue to partner with local and state legislators to protect women’s reproductive rights, including access to abortion services; the sanctity of physician-patient relationship; the right to privacy; and the practice of an evidencebased medicine that is free from political interference.
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