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On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court released its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning the constitutional right to an abortion. The Dobbs decision has been the impetus for expanded discussion on college campuses about reproductive health.

“Let’s Talk About Reproductive Rights: A Series” is a three-part discussion on the history, politics and social justice aspects of reproductive health.

“The idea for a university-wide program on reproductive rights was brought to me early this semester by a number of students, faculty, and staff members,” said Dr. Chris Fowler, director of the �������� Women’s Center. “After the decision this summer, I began outreach out to several faculty, staff, students, and student organization leaders to help plan a series of events on the topic.” 

The first event will be a discussion around the medical side of reproductive health. This will be Monday, Oct. 17, from noon - 1 p.m. in the Women’s Center (403 Baker). There will be a panel including Dr. Jackie Wolf, professor emeritus of social medicine. Wolf will discuss the historical relationship between the outlawing of abortion and high maternal mortality and will describe the events just before Roe v. Wade. There will also be medical students from the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine on the panel. The students will talk about how Dobbs is impacting training of medical doctors and will discuss what they see for the future of doctors and reproductive health training. 

The second event in the series will focus on political aspects of reproductive health. It will be Thursday, Nov. 3, from noon - 1 p.m. in the Women’s Center (403 Baker). The panel will be led by Dr. Julie White, professor of political science in the College of Arts and Sciences. She will discuss how access to reproductive healthcare can be driven by broader political and demographic imperatives. There will also be two undergraduate students discussing how they view Dobbs and other aspects of women’s reproductive health from a political lens, as well as how different student organizations are getting involved and how others can, too. 
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The final event of the series will be a social justice edition on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from noon - 1 p.m. in the Women’s Center (403 Baker). Dr. Kim Little, professor of instruction in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) in the College of Arts and Sciences will lead the panel. This conversation will begin post-Roe and focus on the polarizing reactions to the Supreme Court’s recent decision. The panel will draw upon the earlier conversations in the series to look toward the future of reproductive justice in the United States and beyond. There will be two undergraduate students on the panel who will talk about how Roe V. Wade and Dobbs have impacted them as college students and why everyone should be involved in this important social justice topic. 

The series is open to all faculty, staff, students, and community members. Any questions about the series can be directed to fowlerc1@ohio.edu.