Tigerlily Foundation Response to U.S. Supreme Court Decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Case

On Friday, June 24, 2022, The Supreme Court made the historic decision to overturn Roe V Wade. This decision will have a profoundly detrimental effect on patients in the midst of overwhelming and challenging decisions when it comes to their healthcare and cancer care. Giving states the ability to make decisions about a woman’s body will negatively impact the lives of women living with breast cancer, particularly women who may be pregnant by impacting their ability to access potentially life-saving treatments and will further widen the already existing disparity gaps that we are working to close.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications in the United States. In addition, Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) populations already face tremendous burden when it comes to trust in healthcare due to systemic racism. The over-policing of Black women’s reproductive health poses significantly harmful impact should states start to track data within populations of patients who may need to exercise their rights in order to save their lives while undergoing treatment. State legislation could also contribute to targeting Black women’s data, which could further impact Black women’s already limited representation in science and research. Making a patient’s decision about her body illegal anywhere in America could result in loss of life for many women – particularly underserved and BIPOC populations.

Tigerlily Foundation was founded upon the principles of equity, justice in healthcare and human empowerment, with a focus on the underserved and populations facing the highest disparities in breast cancer. Patients with cancer face many difficult choices in their treatment journey. Additionally, surgeries or medical treatment for cancer that could also result in loss of pregnancy would be considered abortion under certain state laws. This threatens the patient’s ability to receive cancer care in a timely fashion. “Women of color are already facing staggering health inequities in healthcare due to systemic racism, bias, and socio-economic barriers. This Supreme Court decisions will severely negatively impact already underserved populations. Having state legislature interfere with personal healthcare decisions challenges not only patient rights as a human being but impacts the patient and provider relationship. This decision will force patients to make decisions that would put them in challenging positions that could impact their lives, rights and freedom. ” – Maimah Karmo, President and CEO, Tigerlily Foundation.

As a leading national advocacy organization serving young women and populations facing high disparities, we stand against this decision. We believe that this decision, changes in state laws (Texas SB8, Oklahoma HB4327), and the ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States regarding Dobbs vs. Jackson severely impacts women’s rights. Tigerlily Foundation joins medical, advocacy, policy, grassroots organizations and the community in denouncing the Supreme Court’s decision. "Physicians across the nation are very disturbed by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to on Roe v Wade, to overturn a nearly 50-year legislation to protect patients' reproductive rights and overall health care. This act represents a huge step backwards for women, public health and for those facing high disparities in healthcare. In addition, this decision is a gross intrusion into the patient and provider relationship and violates patients’ ability to trust in and access healthcare. Black women already face significant disparities and have limited representation in scientific research. Policing women’s rights would further impact this population, contributing to further loss of life for this population, which already has a 41% higher rate of death than their White counterparts,” Dr. Lori Wilson, Division Chief of Surgical Oncology, Howard University Hospital.

About Tigerlily Foundation: Tigerlily’s mission is to educate, advocate for, empower, and support young women, before, during and after breast cancer. Our vision is to end disparities of age, stage and color. Our vision is to end disparities of age, stage and color.