Seven Black Women Wellness Entrepreneurs On What The Possible End Of Roe Means For Their Communities

If the Supreme Court of the United States doesn’t shift course from the ruling previewed in a leaked draft opinion and overturns Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision protecting a women’s right to abortion across the country, the impacts will undoubtedly ripple far and wide. However, Black women will be disproportionately impacted.

Black women in the U.S. are three times as likely as white women to have unintended pregnancies and five times as likely to obtain abortions, figures that reflect a lack of access to high-quality contraceptive services. Due to resource constraints, Black women are less able to travel out of state for abortions. In addition, carrying a pregnancy to term is riskier for Black women in the U.S. who are more than three times as likely as white women in the U.S. to die in childbirth.

We asked Black women entrepreneurs working in the sexual wellness field how the end of Roe v. Wade could affect their communities and what the industry can do to fight for reproductive rights. Below, seven share their experiences and how they’re advocating for what they believe.

Lyvonne Briggs, spiritual life coach and founder of Sensual Faith Academy

What does the possible end of Roe mean to you and for your community and clients?

Black women have always had a particularly tender relationship with reproductive healthcare in this country. The possible end of Roe means the ongoing political assault of our bodies and well-being. A Black woman who reclaims agency over her body is not just empowered, she is a threat to the very system. A Black woman with agency is a liberated being, and the matrix of systems of oppression will buck against her at all costs.

Do you have any personal stories about how this issue impacts you?

Nearly one in four women in the United States will receive abortion care in her lifetime. I am a 39-year-old Black women spiritual leader who has received abortion care multiple times. There is no way in hell I would be where I am today if I had not made decisions that were best for me at the time.

What do you think the broader wellness, beauty and sexual wellness industries should be doing in light of the country’s abortion policy landscape changing?

Choosing to have an abortion can be an extremely sobering decision. Any woman who chooses to terminate her pregnancy deserves the deepest compassion and the safest procedure possible. Wellness, beauty and sexual wellness industries that cater to and profit off of women consumers have a duty to serve our healthiest needs. Protecting women’s rights is both a public health and theological issue and deserves systemic care and intention.

Lyvonne Briggs, spiritual life coach and founder of Sensual Faith Academy

Taylor Sparks, erotic educator and founder of Organic Loven

What does the possible end of Roe mean to you and for your community and customers?

As an African American woman, this puts the women in our community at a risk of additional harm. By harm, I mean that African American women are already disproportionately underserved by the entire medical community. As a population, African American women have more abortions than any other race in the US. Overturning Roe v. Wade would mean that the “freedoms of choice” we were told we had would no longer exist. When does the “freedom” our country was built on end and the decisions others make around our bodies begin?

How does this issue affect you personally?

I have a 25-year-old daughter who I believe should have the options to do with her body what she believes is best for her at the time she decides. If Roe v. Wade is overturned and she decides that she wants/needs an abortion, I will take her to any place in the world to make sure she gets one legally and safely. Only she can decide what is best for her body. Not even me, the woman who gave birth to her with all of the love in my soul, would ever deny her the right to choose what is best for her, even if that means having an abortion.

What do you think the broader wellness, beauty and sexual wellness industries should be doing in light of the country’s abortion policy landscape changing?

We should use our collective social media platforms to express how the overturning of Roe v. Wade is unfathomable. Collectively, we could probably bring a more personal/professional expression of disagreement and why this is so wrong for humanity more than any marketed campaign.

Taylor Sparks, erotic educator and founder of Organic Loven Tarik Sparks

Necole Kane, founder of My Happy Flo

What does the possible end of Roe mean to you and for your community and customers?

No matter what the final outcome of Roe v. Wade is, I think it’s absolutely heartbreaking that women’s rights and governance over their body is being challenged by a system made up of men.

For our customers in general, most have found us after searching for more holistic and natural options to cure their period pain than hormonal contraceptives. A lot of our customers have experienced very unfavorable side effects from birth control such as low libido, depression, mood disorders and depletion of key nutrients, which ultimately have an effect on their overall quality of life. It’s challenging to educate a community on health risks that are associated with one of their only options for pregnancy prevention when their abortion rights are in jeopardy.

What do you think the broader wellness, beauty and sexual wellness industries should be doing in light of the country’s abortion policy landscape changing?

There is an educational gap in our country when it comes to sexual education and actually teaching women about their biology and how our menstrual cycles work. The fertility awareness method is a natural form of pregnancy prevention—or fertility awareness for those who want to conceive—that requires people who menstruate to learn about the natural rhythm of their body as well as the different phases of the menstrual cycle.

There are a variety of ways to determine peak fertility by examining our cervical mucus, our basal temperature and charting/cycle tracking, but they never taught us this information in school. The more knowledge we have about our bodies and how they work, the more power we have and more in control we are. Maybe lawmakers should reroute their attention on filling that educational gap?

In the meantime, as a wellness brand, we have the responsibility of revving up our education, not just around our specific products, but around menstrual cycles and helping women understand how they play a role in not only their fertility, whether they are trying to prevent pregnancy or actively conceive, but also early detection of hormonal imbalances and reproductive health conditions.

Necole Kane, founder of My Happy Flo

Jasmine Daniels, sexuality educator and intimacy coach, The Vagina Liberator

What does the possible end of Roe mean to you and for your community and clients?

Danger! The possible end of Roe v. Wade can mean a significant increase in back alley abortions from the black market. Abortions will be unsafely accessed. This will cause an increase in severe infections and, most importantly, death.

In the U.S., Black women have a high maternal mortality rate from their OB-GYN providers in comparison to their white counterparts. Therefore, black-market abortions can be a motivator for Black women to decline annual exams out of fear of their illegal abortion(s) being discovered. If this begins to happen, there could be a new rise of undiagnosed and untreated breast and cervical cancer amongst Black women. Again, resulting in more death!

As far as clients of intimacy coaching, the end of Roe v. Wade can lead clients to withdraw from their sexual life and seeking help. Some may experience depression and not report it out of fear of being criminalized. If untreated infections are present, sex will be uncomfortable and, again, the fear of admitting a crime will prevent these women from receiving treatment.

How have you seen this issue impact people?

I see how the system treats Black Americans. Children who are placed in the foster care system are beaten, sexually assaulted, continuously placed in various homes throughout the year, and are more prone to become criminals and high school dropouts. Currently, we are experiencing a formula shortage. Mothers are unable to properly feed their infants. They are online researching “safe” ingredients to liquefy to feed their infants.

Birth control options are not 100% effective at preventing pregnancy. Women and children are victims of sex trafficking, incest and rape. Forcing women to care for children they did not intend to have is cruel and can negatively impact the child later in life. Black babies grow into Black adults who are unsure if they will survive a traffic stop. Attending church and our local grocery store is now a risk. So, asking Black women to birth Black children who America never intended to protect is ludicrous.

What do you think the broader wellness, beauty and sexual wellness industries should be doing in light of the country’s abortion policy landscape changing?

Honestly, change in policy will not come from us. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, we need to encourage our communities to show up to the polls and vote! We have to participate in all elections outside of the presidential campaign. It starts locally, state level, House of Representatives, etc.

Additionally, we should be creative by researching abortion care and prevention of infections, then educate our communities on aftercare in the event they opt for the black market. A higher-level step would be to educate the black-market providers on sterilization, and on proper tools and techniques to increase the survival rate of women who will receive their services.

Jasmine Daniels, sexuality educator and intimacy coach, The Vagina Liberator

Nakea Murray, founder of V-tox Intimate Health and Wellness

What does the possible end of Roe v. Wade mean to you, your community and your customers?

It’s been constant heartfelt conversation about it at our office. Women are uncertain. I am uncertain about what it would mean on a large scale. We’re all in agreement that no one should be policing the bodies of others and that women’s lives and health could be in jeopardy if they seek out other alternatives.

Do you have any personal stories about how this issue impacts you?

When I was 14 and pregnant, my mother didn’t find out until I was pretty far. She thought abortion was an option, but it was not. I traveled alone to doctor after doctor who said the same thing over and over.

Fast forward and at 16 I was pregnant again and found out two months after my son’s father was murdered. I’m thankful that there were options for me, but I do wish that doctors spoke more about the emotional impact and future health complications that come from the procedure. I could not imagine not having the option, though. Healing my own womb is a huge part of why I started V-tox Intimate Health and Wellness.

What do you think the broader wellness, beauty and sexual wellness industries should be doing in light of the country’s abortion policy landscape changing?

I believe we should continue to have conversations about it and become the change makers we need. Hold our local government responsible to ensure the safety of women.

Nakea Murray, founder of V-tox Intimate Health and Wellness

Lisa Masterson, OB-GYN and founder of Dr. Pink

What does the possible end of Roe v. Wade mean for your community and clients?

The people most harmed by the overturning of Roe v. Wade will be women of color that are from poor and marginalized communities. Many barriers to care already exist for this group, and they will only worsen because a woman may now have to have more money and travel, get time off work or get childcare if she has children.

This will also worsen maternal mortality for black women, which is already three times that of white women. It is a fact that racial disparities in pregnancy outcomes are only made worse by restricting access to reproductive care. My practice offers not just OB-GYN services, but also wellness and spa services and a telehealth platform. We are about to see just how important telehealth is going to be for women’s health and reproductive autonomy, especially those most in need of access.

How have you seen this issue impact women?

My telehealth platform, Dr. Pink, in addition to offering specific wellness plans, offers emergency contraception and abortion medication (Plan Pink). This empowers my clients by putting more control in their hands. I try to really make this difficult time for them more bearable by not only providing emergency contraception and medical abortion, but also nausea medicine, pain medicine and heating pads. I have women come into my office in tears over these difficulties. Solutions should be easily available to all. And no woman should ever feel shamed.

What do you think the broader wellness, beauty and sexual wellness industries should be doing in light of the country’s abortion policy landscape changing?

I work every day to help women achieve their wellness goals by taking advantage of the rise of telehealth, but, now, with Roe v. Wade being overturned, telehealth is an even more crucial tool for women’s reproductive autonomy and overall wellbeing. I think the wellness industry as a whole can support women by talking openly about abortion and about how wellness is everything—yes, it is self-care, it’s nutrition, it is mental health, but it is also sexual and reproductive health.

The media can help by informing women of the resources and sites available to them: Plan B, IUDs, Plan Pink, etc. I have so many women making a decision for birth control based on fear of pregnancy and not what is best for them. I am also worried about women harming themselves by resorting to methods that aren’t safe due to many sites with incorrect information.

Lisa Masterson, OB-GYN and founder of Dr. Pink

Janet Williams, OB-GYN and co-founder of Intimate Wellness Shop

What does the possible end of Roe mean for you and your community? 

The end of Roe would be a sad step back in the access to health care for women and particularly women in marginalized communities. It is an assault on our intimate freedom and the agency over our own bodies. It fundamentally goes counter to what we say we stand for in this country.

How have you seen this issue impact people? 

I have worked with a number of patients who came from disadvantaged circumstances with abusive partners or limited resources and/or support for whom abortion saved their lives. With that option, they were able to forge forward and become active contributing community members. Every story is different, and every circumstance is different. The availability of abortion and the choice of whether or not to use it should stay with those living the circumstances.

What do you think the broader wellness, beauty and sexual wellness industry should be doing in light of the country’s abortion policy landscape changing? 

Supporting agencies that are doing the work toward equitable reproductive health. Organizations like the Center for Reproductive Rights, New Voices For Reproductive Justice and Spark Reproductive Justice NOW are working hard to preserve and facilitate resources for women and non-binary people in need.

Janet Williams, OB-GYN and co-founder of Intimate Wellness Shop (C)THEODORE DICKERSON7175389179