Nonprofit Community Health Center CEO Says Eliminating the Constitutional Right to Abortion Would Deprive Women in Need of Vital Health Care Services

LOS ANGELES – (May 5, 2022) – Following is a statement from Venice Family Clinic CEO and executive director Elizabeth Benson Forer regarding the leaked draft majority opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case that would eliminate the constitutional right to abortion established nearly 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade. The decision is not yet final, and abortion remains legal for now. But if the high court does issue the ruling, Planned Parenthood reports that 26 states are poised to move quickly to ban abortion, leaving more than 36 million women of reproductive age — and other people who can become pregnant — without access to abortion.

“The court appears to be ready to roll back nearly 50 years of progress for women and their families by ending their constitutional right to determine if, when and how they will raise their families. While we are very pleased that California’s elected leaders are committed to ensuring women continue to have access to abortion in our state, some 36 million women of reproductive age in 26 other states have lost or would lose their access to abortion if the court strikes down Roe v. Wade.

“Millions of women in need who live in these states would be deprived of this vital health care service. They are like the vast majority of Venice Family Clinic’s patients: They are living at or below the poverty level and cannot afford to travel to states, like California, where abortion will remain legal, or their immigration status limits their ability to travel safely.

“As one of Los Angeles’ leading health care providers to people in need, we feel compelled to speak out for people of color and low-income women who will be disproportionately affected if the court overturns this landmark ruling. We call on our nation’s elected leaders to make abortion safe and accessible for all women, regardless of where they live, their income or their immigration status.”

About Venice Family Clinic

Venice Family Clinic is a nonprofit community health center that is a leader in providing comprehensive, high-quality primary health care to 45,000 people in need annually, regardless of their income, insurance or immigration status. Having recently merged with South Bay Family Health Care, the Clinic now serves an area from the Santa Monica Mountains through the South Bay in Los Angeles County. The Clinic has 17 sites located in Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, Inglewood, Culver City, Redondo Beach, Carson, Gardena and Hawthorne, plus two mobile clinics. Its comprehensive care includes mental health services, dental care, street medicine for people experiencing homelessness, vision services, substance use treatment, prescription medications, domestic violence counseling, HIV services, healthy food distributions, health education, health insurance enrollment, child development services and more. For more information, please visit VeniceFamilyClinic.org and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.