WASHINGTON, DC – Today marks the third anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated the federal right to abortion. In the three years since this landmark ruling, a concerning pattern has emerged: the same lawmakers working to dismantle access to abortion, birth control, and evidence-based maternal care are simultaneously elevating unregulated pregnancy clinics (UPCs) as a health care alternative, despite these facilities operating outside standard medical regulatory frameworks.
In response to the anniversary, Reproductive Health and Freedom Watch Executive Director Debra Rosen released the following statement:
“Three years ago today, the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision didn’t just overturn Roe, it situated restricted abortion access as the first step in a coordinated and well-funded crusade to reshape reproductive and maternal health care. As we mark this devastating anniversary, a troubling strategy has come into focus: the same legislators gutting access to abortion, contraception, and evidence-based maternal care are simultaneously championing unregulated pregnancy clinics as health care. Left unchecked from Capitol Hill to state houses, UPCs have been increasingly framed as comprehensive maternal health care providers in bills designed to fund them, celebrate their work, and shield them from regulatory scrutiny.
“At a moment when extremist lawmakers are systematically dismantling access to qualified reproductive and maternal health care, understanding the unregulated industry they increasingly promote as a model for health care is not just urgent—it is essential. The Dobbs anniversary serves as a stark reminder of how quickly fundamental rights can be stripped away, and how the resulting regulatory vacuum has been filled by facilities that operate without the oversight and accountability standards we expect from medical providers.”
Background
Since the Dobbs decision, UPCs have experienced unprecedented growth and political support, with state and federal lawmakers increasingly positioning these facilities as “comprehensive health care” despite their lack of verifiable medical directors, patient privacy protections, and regulatory oversight. This expansion has occurred alongside systematic efforts to restrict access to qualified reproductive and maternal health care, creating a dangerous dynamic where women are being directed to unregulated facilities at the precise moment when access to accountable, evidence-based medical care is being curtailed.
This coordinated legislative strategy – promoting UPCs through funding increases and regulatory exemptions while simultaneously restricting evidence-based care – has created significant risks for women’s health and safety, as patients may be misled about the qualifications, capabilities, and regulatory status of the facilities they encounter when seeking reproductive and maternal health services.
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