Department of Medicine

Professional Civil Disobedience – Medical-Society Responsibilities after Dobbs

Written by The New England Journal of Medicine | August 24, 2022

Author Matthew K. Wynia, MD, MPH asks, What should medical professionals do when a law requires them to harm a patient? This question has become a pressing one as physicians grapple with the implications of state laws banning abortion. When these laws directly and immediately threaten the health of patients, should physicians collectively disobey them — that is, should they engage in professional civil disobedience?