Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, the United States has been confronting a reproductive health crisis unprecedented in contemporary times. Now, in the middle of 2025, the situation is increasingly dire and urgent.
Following the Dobbs ruling, almost 1 in 5 individuals seeking abortion care, including treatment for miscarriage, have been compelled to travel to other states. This figure has more than doubled compared to just three years prior. With lawmakers nationwide advancing new restrictions on medication abortion, cutting essential clinical funding, and barring family planning clinics from Medicaid, we are witnessing a deepening rift in our health care system that jeopardizes lives.
As leaders of Doctors for America and the American Medical Women’s Association, and co-founders of the Reproductive Health Coalition, we represent more than 180 organizations and 150 million people. We are medical professionals; we are advocates; and we are observing directly the detrimental effects on patients, not merely in theory, but within our exam rooms, hospital wards, and communities.
This transcends political debate. It concerns fundamental health and human dignity.
Consider the care for miscarriage. In a well-functioning system, a patient experiencing a miscarriage should receive prompt, compassionate, and evidence-based treatment. However, in states with stringent abortion regulations, we have witnessed alarming delays as providers contend with ambiguous legal threats or fear of prosecution. Patients have had to wait until they are in critical conditions before receiving care, simply because providers are uncertain what treatment is legally considered “safe.” This is intolerable.
As internists, we offer a distinctive perspective on the reproductive health crisis. Too frequently, discussions about reproductive care are relegated to our obstetrics and gynecology colleagues. Their knowledge is crucial, yet reproductive health is not confined to a single specialty.
Internists advise patients on contraception, manage chronic illnesses during pregnancy, and frequently act as the only consistent medical contact for patients. We are at the forefront, particularly in rural and under-resourced regions where specialists are limited. Nonetheless, our capability to deliver quality care is now directly threatened by policies motivated not by evidence but by ideology.
The consequences of these policies are extensive. Research consistently demonstrates that access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, enhances maternal and infant health outcomes. In contrast, restrictions correlate with increased maternal mortality, particularly among Black, Indigenous, and low-income communities.
That is why the Reproductive Health Coalition is advocating for a nationwide reevaluation of our discourse surrounding reproductive health. This is not merely a “culture war” issue. It is health care. It pertains to dignity, privacy, and the vital relationship between a patient and their health care providers.
Additionally, it involves transparency and bravery for health care professionals. Our coalition has aided in drafting Shield Laws for states that continue to offer abortion services, and we have developed legal guidance to assist clinicians in understanding their protections. No provider should be forced to choose between delivering appropriate medical care and jeopardizing their career or freedom.
We implore policymakers, clinicians, and voters to reflect on this: women’s health is essential. Reproductive care is not a peripheral issue. It is an integral aspect of health care that affects half the population and touches everyone.
The time for silence has ended. Inaction only perpetuates injustice.
We must transform the dialogue. We must lead with compassion, evidence, and integrity. And we must remind the nation that access to reproductive care, including abortion, transcends rights. It is about survival.
Christine Petrin and Susan Thompson Hingle are internal medicine physicians.