Governor breaks ground on new reproductive health clinic in Doña Ana County

LAS CRUCES - Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham joined state and local leaders to break ground on a new reproductive health clinic in Doña Ana County in southern New Mexico, reaffirming her administration's commitment to protecting and expanding access to essential healthcare services, including abortion.

The Center for Reproductive Health, funded in part by $10 million in capital improvement money secured by Lujan Grisham in 2022, will help meet a sharply increased demand for reproductive services following the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. The new facility is a crucial component of New Mexico's commitment to providing safe, comprehensive care to state residents and those who travel to New Mexico from other states, including neighboring Texas and Oklahoma, where abortion access is severely restricted.

"Access to reproductive healthcare should be a fundamental human right," said Gov. Lujan Grisham. "Once completed, this clinic will stand as a testament to our state's commitment to reproductive freedom for residents of New Mexico, and also those who travel here from out-of-state in need of this care."

"Without access to reproductive healthcare, women face life-threatening risks, such as untreated ectopic pregnancies. We are here to prevent such tragedies and ensure that every woman has access to the care she needs," Gov. Lujan Grisham added.

When opened, the center will provide the following services:

• Medication and procedural abortion.
• Miscarriage management.
• Range of contraception options including IUDs implants, emergency contraception, and hormonal and barrier contraception options.
• Pregnancy loss support and management.
• Lactation support.
• Women's Preventative care, sexually transmitted infection, and cancer screenings.
• Adoption education and resources.
• Limited Primary Care including: STI screenings, cervical cancer screenings, checkups for sexual health care.
• Doula Support.

Thursday's groundbreaking represented the latest effort by Lujan Grisham to protect reproductive rights in New Mexico. Others include:

Repeal of 1969 law: In 2021, she repealed a dormant law that would have criminalized abortion providers when Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Executive Order: Issued in 2022, ensuring New Mexico will not assist other states in prosecuting legal abortion services provided within the state.
Reproductive Health Care Access Act: Signed in 2023, this act protects both patients and providers from legal consequences arising from other states' abortion bans.

The Governor encouraged those in need of reproductive health services to use the NMHealth Helpline, a confidential, multilingual resource available to all without questions about citizenship. The hotline can be reached at 1-833-796-8773 (1-833-SWNURSE).