The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday in favor of setting up a Health and Human Services Agency division that concentrates on reproductive health — including access to services such as family planning.
According to a statement from board Chair Nora Vargas, the unit will “serve as a centralized hub to coordinate reproductive health resources, address the needs of marginalized communities, and advocate for policies promoting reproductive justice.”
Vargas said the unit will “strengthen partnerships with local, state, and federal organizations.”
Other goals are supporting services for sexual and menstrual health, comprehensive maternal health support, fertility care, gender-affirming care, and gynecological services.
Vargas said reproductive health “isn’t just about pregnancy and maternal care — it’s about ensuring that everyone has access to essential services.”
She added that the new unit “will improve access and address the disparities faced by communities of color, low-income individuals, and LGBTQ+ populations.
“We cannot afford to leave anyone behind in the fight for reproductive justice,” she said.
Vargas said that increased reproductive health services are needed following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade, which had guaranteed the legal right to abortion for nearly 50 years.
Since then, 14 states have enacted abortion bans and eight others have imposed limitations.
Vargas’s office said that Black women in San Diego County are 2.5 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women.
Further, 20% of low-income women cannot access reproductive health services, and almost 25% of transgender and non-binary people face barriers to gender-affirming care, her office added.
According to Vargas, the HHSA unit will be operational in the fiscal year 2025-26 budget.
Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond, both Republicans, voted no on Vargas’s proposal.
During the Tuesday meeting, Supervisor Jim Desmond said he did not believe that the board should create new units or departments. Desmond said he understood that other contractors provide most of the reproductive services mentioned in Vargas’ proposal.
Desmond added that he was unclear whether gender-affirming care services would include surgery for minors, which he would not support.
Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer disagreed with Desmond about creating a new county component.
“It’s the role of our board to identify where we should be focusing,” Lawson-Remer said, adding the county “could really benefit from some coordination and making sure that all out efforts are going in the same direction and we’re really being strategic.”
Lawson-Remer added that she appreciated the budget-neutral approach.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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