Toreros discuss reproductive health at USD

The USD Health Center in a post Roe v. Wade world 

SALENA CHACON / ASST. NEWS EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

ABIGAIL CAVIZO / NEWS EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

Roe v. Wade, the court case responsible for federally guaranteeing access to abortion in the United States, was overturned on June 24 of this year. In the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, the Supreme Court ruled that abortion rights are now determined on a state-by-state basis. 

Abortion rights were on the ballot in California for the midterm elections. California voters in the state election voted “yes” on Proposition 1, which “adds the right to abortion and contraceptive use to state constitution,” according to The Associated Press. 

Although abortion is now protected by California’s state constitution, out-of-state USD students may live in one of the 11 states where abortion is now banned: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.

USD senior Julia McAtee (they/he/she) is a co-president of USD Pee in Peace, an organization on campus that aims to promote health and wellness of trans students on campus. 

“Reproductive care is at the basis of our beings. Fundamentally, it is about choice and autonomy and I feel like promoting reproductive justice and trying to ensure that all people have access to contraceptives, to reproductive care… it’s just an act of community care, caring about other people and wanting them to nourish their whole being and their whole person,” McAtee expressed.

Senior Ezra Wheeler (they/them) is the other president of USD Pee in Peace. When they found out about the reversal of Roe v. Wade, they were upset with the decision.  

“Abortion being criminalized and banned in other states just opens the door for it to be banned here eventually and criminalized further. And so, we might be okay now, but when these kinds of legislation are being put forth we can’t get comfortable with that safety, because we never know that it won’t touch us,” Wheeler explained. 

Reproductive health at USD is a topic of ongoing discussion, as many students at USD rely on the Student Health Center (SHC) for medical needs. Since USD is a Catholic institution, reproductive health services are limited. The University of San Diego explained the services they provide in an email.

“In keeping with our Catholic tradition, the SHC does not provide abortions. The SHC does provide students with medical information regarding sexual and reproductive health in order to make their own informed decisions,” USD wrote in an email. “The University of San Diego SHC medical providers are very sensitive to the issues of students surrounding sexual and reproductive health and are committed to providing caring, accessible and confidential support to all students.  The SHC often connects students with campus and community support services to address their individual concerns.” 

The University also mentioned that they are open to conversation regarding their reproductive health services.

“Students interested in extended conversations on sexuality and Catholic teaching are encouraged to contact University Ministry staff or the Counseling Center, other resources are also accessible in the broader San Diego community,” USD wrote.

The SHC currently does not prescribe contraceptives unless for a medical reason, such as acne or heavy periods. This means students cannot be prescribed contraceptives by the SHC directly for birth control.

USD junior Alyssa Jackson agreed that contraceptives should not be provided to the USD community, and explained that USD’s Catholic identity must be considered in their decision.

“The Student Health Center should not prescribe birth control to its students. There are many side effects students should be aware of if considering, but also it should be noted that the school will not be held liable for any of the effects it [would] have on a woman’s body,” Jackson said. “USD’s Catholic identity should absolutely play a role. The University should inform its students on natural family planning instead of birth control and condoms, which are against the Catholic faith.   Abortion should not be used as a means of birth control which is why universities like USD should not be promoting it in their health centers.”

McAtee is also the founder of the club Students for for Sexual and Reproductive Justice (SSRJ),  which was recently approved on Dec. 1. The main mission of SSRJ is to promote the sexual and reproductive wellness needs of students on campus. 

“I want SSRJ to be a place where people who are passionate about these issues, especially in a post-Roe world, can come and gather and talk about their concerns but also their hopes for the future, what they want to see on campus and in the community,” McAtee said.

Although not all Toreros are directly affected by the overturning of Roe v. Wade, McAtee believes everyone should care about reproductive rights.

“This crusade against reproductive health and abortion and critical health care services will also affect us in the long run,” McAtee said.

Whether someone agrees with Roe v. Wade being overturned or not, USD Pee in Peace and SSRJ are among the organizations on campus that students can join if they are passionate about this justice and furthering resources are available at the SHC.