Radiologists staunchly support patient safety and autonomy, in opposition to the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v Wade

On June 24th 2022 the US Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion. We are radiologists and medical physicists, many of whom hold or have held leadership roles in our professional community. We are deeply concerned about this erosion of reproductive choice and bodily autonomy across the many States that will now further restrict or even ban access to abortion. Radiologists are physicians who use medical imaging - such as ultrasound, CT, and MRI - to diagnose and treat disease. We use imaging to monitor pregnancy from start to finish and have perspective on the myriad of issues that can arise, making us qualified to speak on the importance of bodily autonomy and the right to choose whether or not to proceed with a pregnancy. Diagnostic radiologists are experienced in evaluating post-surgical complications and interventional radiologists are thoroughly trained in minimally invasive techniques to stop uncontrolled bleeding and place drains to treat abscesses. “Today, approximately 21 million women around the world obtain unsafe, illegal abortions each year, and complications from these unsafe procedures account for approximately 13% of all maternal deaths, nearly 50,000 annually.” 1The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). “Facts are important: abortion is healthcare.” https://www.acog.org/advocacy/facts-are-important/abortion-is-healthcare#:~:text=ACOG's%20November%202017%20Statement%20of,undue%20interference%20by%20outside%20parties. Accessed May 13, 2022. These are our patients, and their morbidity and mortality is entirely preventable with access to safe and legal abortion. We support our patients, of all genders, in making their own informed decisions about their healthcare and management. We urge lawmakers and policy makers to ensure access to reproductive health including safe, legal abortion to all who need these essential healthcare services. Signed Aditya Karandikar, MD A.J. Mariano, MD Adam A. Dmytriw, MD, MPH, MSc Agnieszka Solberg, MD Alan H. Matsumoto, MD Alda L. Tam, MD Alexandra H. Fairchild, MD Alexia Tatem, MD, MPH Alexie Riofrio, MD Alice Fung, MD Alice Zhou, MD Alison Roth, PhD Allison Gittens, MD Ami A. Shah, MD Amie Y. Lee, MD, FSBI Amina Farooq, MD Amit Chakraborty, MD Amy C. Taylor, MD Amy Killeen, MD Amy L. Kotsenas, MD, FACR Amy Lynn Conners, MD Amy Oliveira, MD Anand Narayan, MD, PhD Andi Senter, MD Andrea A. Birch, MD, FACR Andrew Bruner, MD Aneesa Majid, MD, MBA, FSIR Angela Tong, MD Anika L. McGrath, MD Anjali Malik, MD Ann Leylek Brown, MD Anna Nidecker, MD Anne C. Hoyt, MD Anne Roberts, MD Arjun Patel, MD Arthur Fleischer, MD, FACR, FAIUM, FSRU Asha Sarma, MD Ashley Hastings-Robinson, MD Babak Rejaie, MD Bahar Mansoori, MD Bamidele F. Kammen, MD Benjamin Meyer, MD Beth Vettiyil, MD Beth Zigmund, MD Bindu Avutu, MD, MPH Brian Latimer, MD, PhD Brian Park, MD Brooke Morrell, MD Bruce Curran, MS, ME Cameron Henry, MD Camilo Jaimes, MD Cara Connolly, MD Caroline Robson, MBChB Carolyn C. Meltzer, MD, FACR Carolynn DeBenedectis, MD Cassy L. Cook, MD Catherine Everett, MD, MBA, FACR Catherine H. Phillips, MD Chelsea Dunning, PhD Chelsea Neesham, MD Cheri L. Canon, MD, FACR, FSAR Christian Fauria-Robinson, MD Christie M. Lincoln, MD Christine Dove, MD Christine Glastonbury, MBBS Christine Rehwald, MD Christopher Hess, MD, PhD Christopher Murphy, MD Christy Pomeranz, MD Claudia F.E. Kirsch, MD, PhD Cody Quirk, MD Constantine M. Burgan, MD Courtney Scher, DO Courtney Tomblinson, MD Cristina Fuss, MD Cynthia Santillan, MD Dania Daye, MD, PhD Daniel B. Brown, MD, FSIR Daniel J. Young, MD Daniel Kopans MD Daniel Vargas, MD Dann Martin, MD, MS Darren L. Transue, MD David Thompson, MD David W. Jordan, PhD, FACR, FAAPM Deborah Shatzkes, MD Derek Sun, MD Desiree M. Clement, MD Domenico Mastrodicasa, MD Doris Lin, MD, PhD Edward Lo, MD Elainea Smith, MD Elena Korngold, MD Eleza Golden, MD Elianna L. Goldstein, MD, MS Elizabeth A. Russ, MD Elizabeth England, MD Elizabeth H. Dibble, MD Elizabeth K. Arleo, MD, FACR, FSBI Elizabeth M. Hecht, MD, FSAR Elizabeth Morris, MD Elizabeth P. Maltin, MD, FACR Elizabeth Snyder, MD Emmanuel Carrodeguas, MD Erin A. Cooke, MD Erin Shropshire, MD Erin Simon Schwartz, MD, FACR Etta Pisano, MD Evan Lehrman, MD Faezeh Sodagari, MD Faisal Shah, MD, MBA Florence X. Doo, MD Francesca Rigiroli, MD George K. Vilanilam, MD Geraldine McGinty, MD Gina Landinez, MD Girish Bathla, MD Grace G. Zhu, MD Grace Gwe-Ya Kim, PhD Graham Keir, MD Habib Rahbar, MD Hailey Choi, MD Harmanpreet Bandesha, DO Harrison Lee, MD, MBA Haydee Ojeda-Fournier, MD, FSBI Heather Early, MD Heather Greenwood, MD Ichiro Ikuta, MD, MMSc Irena Dragojevic, PhD J. Hugo Decker MD, PhD James Matthew Kerchberger, MD, MPH Jamie Holtz, MD Jamie Hui, MD Jamie Lee Twist Schroeder, MD, DPhil Jana Ivanidze, MD, PhD Janine T. Katzen, MD Jason Chiang, MD, PhD Jeffers Nguyen, MD Jeffrey D Robinson, MD, MBA, FACR Jeffrey Shyu, MD, MPH, MA Jennifer C. Broder, MD Jennifer Chen, MD Jennifer J. Wan, MD Jennifer Kemp, MD, FACR Jennifer R. Buckley, MD, MBA Jennifer S. Weaver, MD Jesse M. Conyers, MD Jessica B. Robbins, MD Jessica Hayward, MD Jessica R. Leschied, MD Jessica Wen, MD, PhD Jiyon Lee, MD Jocelyn Park, MD Joelle Wazen, MD John Mongan, MD, PhD Jonathan Breslau, MD Jordan Cuskaden, MD Jordan Perchik, MD José Pablo Martínez Barbero, MD, PhD, EDiNR Jubin Jacob, MD Julia Schoen, MD, MS Justin Banaga, MD Kalpana Kanal, PhD, FACR Karla A. Sepulveda, MD Karyn Ledbetter, MD Katarzyna J. Macura, MD, PhD Katherine E. Maturen, MD MS Katherine Frederick-Dyer, MD Kathleen A. Ward, MD, FACR, FAAWR Kathryn McGillen, MD Katia Dodelzon, MD, FSBI Katie M. Davis, DO Kayla Cort, DO Kelly Kisling, PhD Kemi Babagbemi, MD, FACR Kevin C. McGill, MD, MPH Kevin J. Chang, MD, FACR, FSAR Kevin Terashima, MD Khashayar Farsad, MD, PhD Kimberly Feigin, MD Kimberly Kallianos MD Kimberly McFarland, MD Kimberly S. Winsor, MD Kimberly Seifert, MD, MS Kirang Patel, MD Kristin K. Porter, MD, PhD, FSAR Kristin M. Foley, MD Krupa Patel-Lippmann, MD Lacey J. McIntosh, DO Laura Barkley, MD Laura E. Heyneman, MD Laura Padilla, PhD Lauren Groner, DO Lauren M. Harry, MD, MS Lauren M. Ladd, MD Laurie Abrams, MD Leah H. Portnow, MD Leah Schafer, MD Leah Sieck, MD Leonard Morneau, MD Leslie Allen, MD Lindsay Busby, MD, MPH Lisa Kang, MD Lisa Walker, MD Lisa Wang, MD, MBA, MPH Lori Strachowski, MD, FSRU, FAOCR Lucy B. Spalluto, MD, MPH Luyao Shen, MD M Mahesh, MS, PhD, FAAPM, FACR, FACMP, FSCCT, FIOMP M. Victoria Marx, MD Majid Chalian, MD Margaret Fleming, MD, MSc Mariam Moshiri, MD Marianne R. Petruccelli, MD Mark D. Sugi, MD Mark P. Supanich, PhD Marla B.K. Sammer, MD, MHA Mary Tenenbaum, MD Maryellen Sun, MD, FACR, FSAR Masis Isikbay, MD Matthew J. Barkovich, MD Matthew J. Miller, MD Matthew S. Johnson, MD Maya Vella, MD Melika Rezaee, MD Melissa A. Davis, MD, MBA Melissa M. Chen, MD Meredith S. Byers, MD Meridith J. Englander, MD, FSIR, FACR Michael Durst, MD Michael Oumano, PhD Michael S. McCollum, DO Michelle Ouyang, MD Mignonne B. Morrell, MD Mitva Patel, MD Monica J. Wood, MD Morgan P. McBee, MD Nancy J. Fischbein, MD Narasim S. Murthy, MD Nataliya Kovalchuk, PhD Neil Lall, MD Neville Eclov, PhD Nicole Kurzbard Roach, MD Nikhil Madhuripan, MD Nikki S. Ariaratnam, MD Nina S. Vincoff, MD Nishanth Khanna, MD Nishita Kothary, MD, FSIR Noushin Yahyavi-Firouz-Abadi, MD Olga R. Brook, MD Orit A. Glenn, MD Pamela K. Woodard, MD Parag J. Patel, MD, MS Parisa Mazaheri, MD Patricia Rhyner MD, FACR Peter R. Eby, MD, FACR Pradnya Mhatre, MD Preethi Raghu, MD Priyanka Jha, MBBS Rachel F. Gerson, MD Rebecca Milman, PhD Rina Patel, MD Robert L. Gutierrez, MD Robert Marks, MD Robyn Gebhard, MD Rochelle F. Andreotti, MD, FACR, FAIUM, FSRU Rohini Nadgir, MD Rukya Masum, MD Ruth B. Goldstein, MD Ryan Manger, PhD Ryan Woods, MD, MPH Sabala Mandava, MD Samantha G. Harrington, MD, MSc Samir Parikh, MD, FACR Sammy Chu, MD, FRCPC Sandeep S. Arora, MBBS Sandra M. Meyers, PhD Sanjay Prabhu, MBBS Sara Shams, MD, PhD Sarah Nobles, MD Sarah Pittman, MD, FRCPC Sarah Rothan, MD Sejal N. Patel, MD Shabnam Mortazavi, MD, MPH Shalini V. Mukhi, MD Sheila Enamandram, MD, MBA Shelby Payne, MD Shravan Sridhar MD, MS Stephen Stein, MD, FACR Steven P. Poplack, MD Steven W. Hetts, MD, FACR Susan Richardson, PhD Suzanne Shepherd, MD Tarek A. Hijaz, MD Teresa Chapman, MD Theresa Caridi, MD, FSIR Thomas W. Loehfelm, MD, PhD Tiffany L. Chan, MD Tim Jenkins, MD Tina Shiang, MD Titania Juang, PhD Toshimasa J. Clark, MD Uzma Waheed, MD Valeria Potigailo, MD Vasantha Aaron, MD Vinil Shah, MD Virginia Planz, MD Vivek Kalia, MD, MPH Walid Ashmeik, MD Wendy DeMartini, MD William D. Donovan, MD, MPH, FACR William P. Dillon, MD Yasha Gupta, MD Yi Li, MD Yilun Koethe, MD Zachary Hartley-Blossom, MD, MBA Zhen Jane Wang, MD These views reflect the opinions of the authors only and do not equal endorsement from their associated affiliations.