June 24, 2022 was a sobering day in the history of the United States. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade – a legal precedent which held that people who give birth in the United States had a fundamental right to choose whether to have an abortion without excessive government restriction – set the clock back approximately 50 years. We, the Durham County Board of Health, recognize that, in making this statement, there are those who celebrated the day and supported the Supreme Court decision. Many are in our community. That is their right, and we respect the differences between people on the issues of abortion and reproductive rights. This is not and should not be an issue of politics. Abortion has not been the domain of one party alone. When it comes to personal decisions, people make choices that transcend party, religion, and other factors. Self-determination over one’s body is a basic tenet of public health. This includes enabling people to make choices about whether to end the medical condition of pregnancy. Ending a pregnancy should not be criminalized by governments.

The June 24th Supreme Court ruling will make some abortions impossible or unlikely, depending on where in the United States a pregnant person lives, number of weeks of gestation, medical conditions, and other factors. We know that the inequities that exist among various demographic groups will hold true with access to abortion: those populations who face social challenges with decreasing access to healthcare likely being pitted against heightened challenges in seeking abortion care. We know that North Carolina is not a trigger state. We pay homage to our Durham elected officials who have displayed respect for the ultimate choice of seeking an abortion. Unfortunately, we are sure that The Supreme Court’s decision will increase health inequities and other inequities in the United States.

Under Federal Title X requirements, using Title X funding for abortions at local health departments is prohibited as a method of family planning. Title X requires additional regulations in place around pregnancy options counseling and client referrals for abortion services. Local health departments traditionally do not provide abortion services for reasons related to Title X funding, as well as capacity and liability for this medically complex procedure. As it stands, there is not a local health department in the State of North Carolina that performs abortion services. While the Durham County Department of Public Health cannot expand services to include abortion care, we will continue to build on our rich history of providing client-centered family planning services, and we will strive to enhance and improve these services to Durham County communities.

With commitment to equitable health care for all,

The Durham County Board of Health