Milwaukee BIPOC community braces for effects of Roe v. Wade decision

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Experts have said the decision to eliminate protections for abortion will disproportionally affect Black, Brown and underprivileged women. 

Dr. Stephanie Findley of the Findley Foundation spends her days helping underprivileged Black and Brown communities. 

"I'm very concerned with the women today who will not have the same options that I had."

She says the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will only make the situation worse for women of color.

"It impacts women of color because they're already at the bottom of the totem poll when it comes to resources, especially women who are in poverty. They don't have the resources to go out of state to have a proper and clean abortion. I would think the greatest barrier would be access first."

Carmen Pitre of Sojourner Family Peace Center says that it's imperative organizations have backup plans for the people they help.

"We’re going to have to educate ourselves about the options of what's available and then help people understand that and then get access too."

According to a report from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, 54% of reported induced abortions were done on white women and 46% for Black and Hispanic women in 2020. 

Dr. Findley says a major hurdle for female minorities is access to basic health care she says she was lucky to have when she got an abortion in college.

"It was a decision based on what my family conditions were at the time. I was in school, I had a young daughter and I couldn’t afford to bring another child into the world," said Findley.

She says she doesn't know how her life would have transpired if she couldn't have received the procedure. 

"I just want women to stand up and fight for what they believe in, for what's best for them and their families."