HomeMy WebLinkAbout39 22 JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF HEALTH
RESOLUTION OF THE JEFFERSON
COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH
DECLARING REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE, Resolution No. 39-22
INCLUDING ABORTION ACCESS, A BASIC
HUMAN RIGHT.
Whereas, access to the full range of reproductive care, including safe abortion, is a critical
component of comprehensive healthcare for any person capable of pregnancy; and
Whereas, limiting access to reproductive healthcare, including systematically stripping access to
abortion, is a transgression against basic human reproductive rights and an assault on dignity and
bodily autonomy; and
Whereas,pregnancy carries significant health risks for the individual carrying that pregnancy,
risks which increase as the pregnancy progresses; and
Whereas, all pregnancies carry the risk of significant fetal anomalies,which require pregnant
individuals to make incredibly difficult decisions for the wellbeing of themselves and their
families; and
Whereas,the decision to birth a child has significant and disproportionate impacts to women
and childbearing people,particularly people of color and those facing poverty—from increased
health risks to decreased earning potential; and
Whereas,the decision to give birth is a deeply personal one that can only be made by the
pregnant person; and
Whereas, unintended pregnancy may result from abusive,traumatic, violent or unwanted sex
that is forced upon women and nonbinary individuals,not just in the case of rape but also in
relationships where power dynamics and dependency make it unsafe to refuse it; and
Whereas, Jefferson County Public Health has been committed to reproductive rights for decades
by providing family planning,birth control,pregnancy options counseling, and referrals to
prenatal and abortion care for decades; and
Whereas, Jefferson County has successfully lowered the rate of teen pregnancy since 1998; and
615 Sheridan•Castle Hill Center•Port Townsend•WA•98368
(360)385-9400
Whereas,Roe v. Wade,the landmark Supreme Court decision recognizing and confirming the
"right to privacy" in the federal Constitution, protecting the right for pregnant people to choose
to have an abortion, was overturned in the Dobbs v. Jackson SCOTUS decision of June 24, 2022;
and
Whereas, dozens of states have already taken legal action to limit or ban abortion, stripping
millions of people of reproductive care, criminalizing their personal healthcare decisions and
creating a chaotic legal and moral framework for healthcare professional; and
Whereas, when safe and legal abortion is not available, women turn to unsafe abortion. The
National Institute of Health estimates 68,000 women die annually from unsafe abortion
worldwide, making it one of the leading (though preventable) causes of maternal mortality.
Now Therefore,be it RESOLVED,that the Jefferson Board of Health("the Board") declares
reproductive choice, including abortion, a basic human right; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED,that the Board directs Department of Public Health staff to continue to
provide the full range of reproductive healthcare, including pregnancy options counseling and
referral to abortion services,to the clients they serve; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED,that the Board will partner with other providers, including Jefferson
Healthcare,to ensure that our residents have access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare,
including abortion; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED,that the Board will support legislative efforts to support codifying the
right to abortion at the State and Federal level.
Approved, Adopted, and Passed this 18th Day of August, 20•
41111.11
Gre: roierton, Chair
Ce)r rvSc'D ,A,105-CA/CE j
Kees Kolff, Vice Chair
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Kat Dean, Member
eidi Eisenhour, Member
615 Sheridan• Castle Hill Center•Port Townsend• WA • 98368
(360)385-9400
ands Funaro, Member
AJ w ns, Member
Lib We strom, Member
Works Cited
Lisa B Haddad, M. M. (2009). Unsafe Abortion: Unnecessary Maternal Mortality.Reviews in
Obstetrics & Gynecology, 122-126.
615 Sheridan • Castle Hill Center•Port Townsend•WA•98368
(360)385-9400