Opinion | The Roe Reversal Should Activate Doctor and Nurse Activism

One of the things I’ve learned after more than a decade working as a women’s health nurse practitioner is that the medical landscape is always changing. There are always going to be new disease processes, management strategies, and treatment options, as well as changes in policy and health insurance coverage and access. Big legislative changes, like the reversal of Roe v. Wade, don’t just happen. They occur after a series of smaller changes are overlooked by other policymakers and the people who will ultimately be impacted — patients and their care providers.

However, it is precisely because I understand this process that I am optimistic, rather than overwhelmed by anger or fear. It has made me see that by being aware of and involved with the policies that impact our patients, we can be better advocates and better providers of care. The model I propose for greater activism from healthcare professionals extends beyond the current moment — it is intended to guide the future of medicine. Let me explain.

I work mostly in underserved areas, meaning many of the people I care for are disproportionately impacted by the reversal of Roe. They are already at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing reproductive healthcare. Many live in high-risk neighborhoods and are unable to meet the emotional and financial demands that accompany child rearing. A crucial part of my job is listening to their considerations while they are making the difficult decision of whether to carry a pregnancy to term, and reviewing the readily available options. Now that there are laws in place further limiting those options, I have to engage in a new critical conversation with my patients: how to navigate a healthcare system that is broken (at least for the time being) and safely access needed services that I am no longer able to provide.

My work, like that of many healthcare providers across the country, is no longer just about the day-to-day operations of direct patient care. We now have to be hyper-attuned to the legislative barriers in the specific state where we are practicing. We must be able to support our patients in their efforts to obtain optimal healthcare, including reproductive healthcare (which includes safe abortion care), without breaking the law. We also have to be up-to-date on the additional resources that exist or should exist for our patients, including the availability — or lack thereof — of support for women who are not prepared for parenthood, but whose circumstance, in this post-Roe era, requires them to carry a pregnancy to term.

In short, healthcare providers must now be more vigilant than ever when it comes to educating ourselves on the realities of reproductive healthcare in this country. Because laws and access now vary from state to state, it’s essential that we communicate and collaborate across state lines. This also creates an opportunity for us to have a more concerted and concrete voice when it comes to political issues that impact our work. This is a good thing, particularly if it serves as a catalyst for more and better-informed participation by medical professionals in the legislative process. Part of our job, beyond only treating patients, is to serve as their advocates. The reversal of Roe highlights the importance of our voices in patient advocacy beyond the healthcare setting.

The reversal of Roe places a higher burden on disadvantaged communities and uncovers pre-existing barriers to reproductive healthcare that will only worsen unless we speak out. We now have a mandate to ensure these communities are heard by amplifying their voices when decisions are being made that will determine the quality of healthcare they receive. We can do this by not only educating policymakers but also by running for political office on local, state, and federal levels, and by educating candidates for office.

I present this not as a temporary solution to a single obstacle, but as a model for moving forward, one that will ensure that every individual in this country has access to not only quality reproductive healthcare, but also the support services needed for the medical, financial, and social consequences of having a child.

Changes in the medical landscape should be guided by the needs of patients and their care providers, rather than the whims of politicians. Whether running for office or not, healthcare providers, especially those in women’s health, must become far more vocal and stand up for the practice of medicine and the science behind it.

Shawana S. Moore, DNP, APRN, WHNP, is a nationally recognized, board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner who specializes in providing women’s and gender-related care throughout the lifespan. She is a member of HealthyWomen Women’s Health Advisory Council and the chair/president of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health.