OC Women’s Health Summit explores women’s health challenges and pathways to care in Orange County

Over 100 individuals eagerly gathered on Friday, October 13th, for the OC Women’s Health Summit, a collaborative event hosted by UC Irvine’s esteemed public health program and the OC Women’s Health Project. This summit aimed to explore the crucial aspects of women’s health and equity.

This event comes in the wake of the landmark ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which disrupted the longstanding Roe v. Wade decision and permitted states to impose abortion bans. Consequently, millions of Americans are now at risk of losing their fundamental right to abortion care.

“Let’s be clear – the ramifications of the Roe v. Wade and Dobbs rulings extend far beyond the realm of abortions,” emphasized Sora Park Tanjasiri, a distinguished professor of public health at UCI. “This is an outright attack on evidence-based medicine. It is our duty to defend physicians’ ability to provide the utmost care to every patient and to ensure our policymakers are well-informed.”

Marking its ninth year, the OC Women’s Health Summit offered a thought-provoking day of panel discussions, featuring experts in the field of sexual and reproductive health. The program incorporated stimulating conversations centered around the future of women’s reproductive care.

Bernadette Boden-Albala, the director and dean of UC Irvine’s Program in Public Health, emphasized the summit’s goal of empowering attendees to take action and effect positive change, starting with women’s health.

“These conversations hold immense significance as they enhance awareness of ongoing issues,” stressed Boden-Albala. “We must fully comprehend the impact of our collective actions – from voting and engaging in meaningful conversations to leveraging media platforms or refraining from complacency.”