On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a 1973 Supreme Court decision establishing that the right to U.S. citizens’ liberty protected personal privacy. The 1973 ruling ensured that women have the right to undergo abortions, an essential healthcare option. Overturning Roe v. Wade affects all women’s lives, including the lives of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Read more about what Kevin Longino, Chief Executive Officer of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and a kidney transplant recipient, wrote in a formal statement following the decision.* 

How does the Supreme Court decision affect CKD patients? 

In his statement, Longino expresses worry over the decision, explaining why reproductive health services, including abortion, are critical for CKD patients. Pregnancy when you have CKD, he wrote, can be very high-risk. Both the fetus and the mother are at a higher risk for poorer outcomes compared to the general population. “Individuals with a kidney transplant,” he says, “might need to make modifications to their immunosuppressive drug regimen that require advanced planning and preparation before they can safely become pregnant.”

CKD also affects many of the communities that already face health equity challenges. “These communities are likely to face increased hardships due to the Court’s decision,” Longino explains, “and kidney patients in these communities could experience yet another burden accessing necessary health treatments.”

The decision prevents doctors from doing their jobs

Lastly, Longino discusses how state legislators are not medically trained to be making reproductive health decisions, especially for CKD patients. This Supreme Court decision takes away both patients’ and doctors’ abilities to discuss all treatment options, and ensure that healthcare choices are made by those directly affected. 

Longino and the NKF express urgency, and ask federal and state lawmakers to act now and ensure that all CKD patients have timely access to the care they need. “Good kidney care requires comprehensive access to all healthcare services,” Longino insists, “including reproductive health services and potentially abortion.”

*Dobbs Ruling Puts Kidney Patients in Jeopardy. (2022, June 28). National Kidney Foundation. https://www.kidney.org/news/dobbs-ruling-puts-kidney-patients-jeopardy