As the country braces for a Supreme Court decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade, California lawmakers are speeding ahead to expand abortion care and protect providers in the Golden State to meet an expected surge in demand for help from out-of-state women.
Until recently, the rate of abortion procedures has been declining in California. But the state could be the nearest provider for up to 1.4 million women of reproductive age who could no longer have access to abortion in their home states, particularly for those who live in Arizona.
“California’s role will be very important,” said Dr. Ushma Upadhyay of UC San Francisco’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Science. “We will signal to people across the country that California supports their reproductive rights, and we’ll help them obtain this basic health care service.”
