Statement to Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade
Thompson School ‘ohana,
The vision of the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health is achieving social justice and health equity for the people of Hawaiʻi and citizens in a changing world. We strive to achieve and support this goal in teaching, research, and service.
The Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, which has protected the right to abortion nationally since 1973, deeply compromises health equity and social justice across our families, communities, and nation. Abortion access is health care access. The collateral damage of this ruling will impact us all, and will fall hardest on those who are already most vulnerable.
This will have catastrophic impacts now and in the future. As noted in the amicus brief in the case submitted by Dean Sentell along with other public health leaders: “Unintended, and especially unwanted, pregnancies carry major short- and long-term health risks. The fallout from preventing women from terminating unintended pregnancies washes over women and their families, including the children they already have…Conversely, the ability to plan a pregnancy allows women to optimize their own health outcomes and those of their families.”
In the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, we will continue to work together, to strive to achieve health equity and to find hope in the voices, ideas, and passion of so many working not only in reproductive health but also in so many critical areas of wellbeing, health and social justice in our school, university, and nation. We will draw strength in these difficult times with our important achievements by our students and faculty working to build a brighter, safer, and more equitable future.
With hope and resolve,
Tetine Sentell
Interim Dean, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health
Jing Guo
Chair, Department of Social Work
Eric Hurwitz,
Director, Office of Public Health Studies
Christy Nishita,
Interim Director, Center on Aging
Theresa Kreif
Assistant to the Dean, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health
For more information:
ASPPH Statement on SCOTUS Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/ASPPH_Media_Files/Docs/ASPPH_Supreme_Court_Draft_Opinion.pdf
HHS Secretary Becerra’s Statement on Supreme Court Ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization:
https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/06/24/hhs-secretary-becerras-statement-on-supreme-court-ruling-in-dobbs-v-jackson-women-health-organization.html
Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) disagrees with decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade: https://www.cswe.org/news/news/cswe-statement-on-overturning-roe-v-wade/
NASW Condemns Decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to Overturn Roe v. Wade:
https://www.socialworkers.org/News/News-Releases/ID/2505/NASW-Condemns-Decision-by-the-US-Supreme-Court-to-Overturn-Roe-v-Wade
Chorus of public health voices sound out against SCOTUS abortion decision:
http://www.publichealthnewswire.org/Articles/2022/06/24/Abortion-Ruling