Reproductive Health Care Post-Roe (2025-2026)

In June of 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the federal right for women to obtain abortion care. This decision has led to early pregnancy or total abortion bans that have now spread to 29 states.

Duke University Hospital’s unique geography (North Carolina is the furthest southern state now permitting abortion care), along with its institutional structure (private rather than public), make it an ideal place to examine access to reproductive healthcare. This project documented the medical, ethical and political conditions of the post-Roe landscape as seen from the viewpoints and experiences of reproductive care providers.

Through archival research, documenting media coverage and conducting oral history interviews, the team expanded an audio and documentary archive launched in 2024 that chronicles the work of the Duke Family Planning team and their colleagues across the country.

This project built on the work of the 2024-2025 project team to expand the archive beyond just interviews with physicians. Team members focused on conducting interviews with nurses, midwives, physician assistants, doulas, clinic managers and other key staff involved in providing care. The goal of the project was to provide meaningful education to the public about the reproductive healthcare landscape in the US post-Roe through the firsthand experiences of providers at all levels of care.