OPEN Statement on the U.S. Supreme Court Draft Opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

As researchers and Ohioans, we at OPEN are deeply concerned about the implications of the leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft Dobbs opinion. Should the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately decide to overturn Roe v. Wade, it would contradict the breadth of scientific evidence which shows that abortion is safe and necessary healthcare, key to ensuring bodily autonomy and well-being of Americans.  

Research shows that restrictive abortion policies harm reproductive health. Banning abortion in Ohio will have numerous harmful consequences for the people of our state.  

If abortion is not available in Ohio, the people of our state will have to travel dramatically further distances to obtain abortion. The average population-weighted driving distance from Ohio county centroids to the nearest abortion facility in a post-Roe scenario could increase to over ten times the current average for a one-way trip (269 miles v. 26 miles now). Longer travel distances result in increased economic costs (gas, car wear and tear, tolls, parking, hotel, childcare, time off work). People with the fewest resources will be least able to manage these increased costs to access abortion care. Restricting abortion access is discriminatory against people who are poor.  

Abortion is safe, and much safer than giving birth. People unable to travel out of state for an abortion will be forced to give birth — at a greater risk to their health. Black women in Ohio are currently 2.2 times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women. This increased risk of death post-Roe will be experienced mostly by Black women in Ohio.  

Pregnant Black women are also more likely to be arrested and charged with felonies for pregnancy-related charges than are White women. Prosecutions of abortion care seekers who cannot obtain formal medical care in Ohio are likely to exacerbate existing racial disparities in the criminalization of pregnancy. 

The people of Ohio support maintaining access to abortion care. We asked over 2,000 Ohio women of reproductive age their opinions about abortion, and the majority believe that safe, effective, and affordable methods of abortion care should be available in their community.  

If Ohio policymakers want to ensure the health and well-being of their constituents, they should not ban abortion care in Ohio. Instead, motivated by evidence and attention to equity, they should turn their efforts to expanding access to reproductive healthcare.