While some argue last week’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision by the Supreme Court overturned a constitutional right to have an abortion from a legal system that was built on precedence, others claim it didn’t outlaw abortion or impose limits; it just returned that power back to the states where the federal constitution says it should have been in the first place. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, the reversal of Roe v Wade exacerbated an already polarized nation.
How do we live in a society where our daughters, nieces, and granddaughters have fewer rights than we did just 49 years ago because the 14th amendment no longer protects them from making personal and private decisions regarding their bodies and lives? The complicated nature of this decision and the far-reaching implications it will likely have on the health and well-being of women and children in our country is on a dangerous footing. In 2020, 930,000 abortions were done in the U.S., the first increase seen in almost 30 years. The CEO of the Guttmacher Institute, Dr. Herminia Palacio, recently stated that “Evidence shows the disproportionate and unequal impact abortion restrictions have on people who are already marginalized and oppressed—including Black and Brown communities, other people of color, people with low incomes, young people, LGBTQ communities, immigrants and people with disabilities.” States having control over women’s reproductive rights will now potentially alter the landscape of access and create boundless inequalities.
Nearly 23 years ago, my husband and I were elated to find out we were expecting our first child. But after some routine blood work during my 18th week of pregnancy that came back severely off-kilter, my OBGYN urged me to come in for an emergency ultrasound. I remember it as if it were yesterday when he looked at the baby on the screen for a mere few seconds and took his glasses off, and sadly said, “I’m so sorry, but your baby has a rare birth defect called anencephaly where his neural tube did not develop, and a large portion of his brain is missing.” My husband and I were in shock and overcome with grief and asked, “will the baby be ok?” He said, “I’m 100% confident there is a 0% chance of survival”. He proceeded to tell us our particular case happens 1 in 10,000 pregnancies and that it wasn’t my fault, but he recommended we go in for genetic counseling. He also told us we had two options: carry the baby to term, knowing that most babies with anencephaly die before birth, but a few die within the first few hours of birth. The other option was to terminate the pregnancy because the fetus was not viable. I prayed that I wouldn’t have to make that decision because while I was proud to be Pro-Choice, I was always Pro-Life in my heart. But at 19 weeks, I didn’t have to make that decision because I miscarried.
But what made an extremely difficult experience more bearable was knowing I had such wonderful caring doctors equipped with the knowledge and training to adequately care for me and who weren’t scared or limited in the scope of what they could do. The Cleveland Clinic reports that 10%-20% of known pregnancies result in miscarriage, so I know I’m not alone as many women have miscarriages, particularly in the first trimester. Still, late-term miscarriages that I had are rare and require a procedure identical to the standard of care that one would receive from getting an abortion, which is now coming into question in many states. Potential legal restrictions compromise not only the ability to have an abortion but to train and recruit quality doctors in states that ban them. The availability of prescribing abortion medications, how cross-state insurance coverage will be implemented, and importantly, reproductive services and access to certain treatments for miscarriages may also be threatened. This clearly is a significant setback to women’s rights and has unknown ramifications on their children.
No matter the reason, terminating a pregnancy has been politically, religiously, and socially divisive for centuries, hence the demarcation of the Pro-Life and Pro-Choice movements. Being Pro-Choice doesn’t necessarily mean one is Pro-Abortion, it just means many of us recognize and appreciate a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her body while valuing a child’s life. While “Life” is protected under the constitution, shouldn’t being Pro-Life take into account the life and welfare of the mother too? Why do the two need to be mutually exclusive? The heart-wrenching options I had were thankfully straightforward and seamless but are now at stake for others. Fortunately for me, I had quality health care and never once had to fear I would lose my life due to a less safe and potentially deadly alternative. I never had to worry about the weight of its cost or the additional burden of going to a different state to get a procedure that my own state wouldn’t allow. I HAD OPTIONS!
The hypocrisy of our country’s belief systems is ironic. The same people who don’t want their reproductive and privacy rights taken away are angry that the government should take away people’s right to own a gun. The states that are likely to limit or ban abortions are also the same states that have the death penalty. It’s not necessarily what side you take but the need to be empathetic to the side you don’t. We aren’t going to overturn the recent Supreme Court ruling, but we can do our part in making a difference in the lives impacted by this decision.
This is my call to action! Contact your elected officials and vote for those supporting women’s rights and quality reproductive health options for them. Vote for ones that advocate for the 632,00 children in the U.S. foster care system and help the system grow the number of adoptions each year. Push employers to support women’s reproductive rights and improve benefits to assist in the added costs that will inevitably come about because of the Supreme Court’s recent decision. Volunteer with special needs and foster children, support single mothers, and donate your financial resources to organizations supporting those causes. I hope that the current divisive nature of our country one day reaches a middle ground. Where we can empathize and understand other people’s perspectives. Where we can appreciate our differences and come together to support people’s choices and move from the Divided States of America to a more UNITED one!
For further information, please check out the below resources to learn more about the issues impacting women and children in our country.
A look at the changing number of legal abortions in the U.S. since the 1970s | Pew Research Center
Child Welfare – The Annie E. Casey Foundation (aecf.org)
Mission, Vision & Values | Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition (foster-adopt.org)
Guttmacher Institute | Good reproductive health policy starts with credible research
Still fighting. No matter what. (weareplannedparenthoodaction.org)
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