President Vincent E. Price released the following statement regarding the reinstatement of North Carolina’s ban on abortions after 20 weeks.
Abortion is both a health care procedure and a profoundly personal and highly political issue that prompts deeply held and conflicting convictions on our campus, in our community, and across our country. With that in mind, I want to reaffirm Duke’s core responsibilities to serve our students, faculty, staff and patients.
As an educational institution, Duke has a responsibility to advance learning within an environment of respect and inclusion. We must recognize that many of our students, faculty, staff and neighbors have experienced fear and uncertainty about their future access to reproductive health in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in June—anxieties that this reinstatement are likely to deepen. Let us remember to approach one another with compassion in this uncertain moment.
As a health system that serves tens of thousands of residents of North Carolina and the southeast, Duke has a responsibility to provide high-quality and often lifesaving patient care, promote health equity, and support patients in making health decisions with their doctors. Duke Health will continue to provide reproductive health services, including abortion, in compliance with state law.
Finally, as an employer and campus community, Duke has a responsibility to support the wellbeing of everyone who comes here to learn, work, teach, and live. We remain committed to providing access to reproductive health services, including abortion, to our students, faculty, and staff. We do not plan or anticipate any changes to this commitment following the reinstatement.
Duke is above all a community of extraordinary people: colleagues and classmates who deserve our respect, empathy, and care. In the months and years ahead, these principles will continue to guide us on this issue and many others.