Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt

About the Case

At Whole Woman’s Health, we believe that everyone deserves the dignity and respect to be at the center of their health care decisions. That’s why for over two years, with the legal help of the Center for Reproductive Rights, Whole Woman’s Health led the fight against the Texas legislature’s harmful anti-abortion law, House Bill 2 (HB2) and fought it all the way to the Supreme Court. HB2 was developed with the purpose of making safe abortion care more difficult to provide and obtain which resulted in the closure of nearly 75 percent of the clinics in the state of Texas since 2013, forcing some women to drive up to 300 miles one-way to obtain a safe and legal abortion care.

Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt (formerly Cole) is a case rooted in Texas but with national implications. Without intervention by the court, anti-choice lawmakers would have been able to do what they have wanted all along: to put in place harsh and medically unnecessary restrictions that will severely limit safe abortion care in our state, and open the door for states across the nation to follow suit.

The Supreme Court justices were loud and clear, you can not pass laws that do nothing for the health and safety of women. Since the historic decision on June 27th, 2016, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt has been used to do away with similar anti-abortion laws in more than 10 states. Our decision has also inspired progressive lawmakers to introduce proactive legislation at the state level. The Whole Woman’s Health Act is currently making its way through different state legislatures.

READ THE OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM OUR
PRESIDENT AND CEO, AMY HAGSTROM MILLER.

COVERAGE FROM OUR HISTORIC WIN