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Abortion has been and continues to be one of the most controversial topics throughout the world, stirring up different arguments and debates about ethics and morals. A crucial part of history and history of abortion was the ruling of Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973, which stated one can have an abortion due to the Fourteenth Amendment, so long as the fetus is not viable. Followed by its own overturning on June 22, 2022, ending the federal right to abortion.Regardless of the opinions after this, a fact that still stands is that society will become impacted. By removing this Consitutional right, all fifty states are now allowed to determine what laws and regulations they would like regarding abortion. In simpler terms, states are now granted the ability to ban them completely. If a woman is actively seeking to safely and legally terminate their pregnancy and reside in a state where there are severe requirements or banned. They would have to travel to a state which legalizes it for the procedure. This is ignoring women who are unable to travel out of state, which increases the risks of unsafe and illegal practices of abortion.  As a result the federal legalization of abortion is beneficial to the future of the pregnant mother and baby, because it gives women a choice and independent rights to their own body.

Basics of activism regarding reproductive health: Pro-Choice and Pro-Life. Pro-Choice is the position in favor of having an option for abortion. This doesn’t necessarily state that someone has to support them; however, it does mean they believe that a woman should be granted a choice. Pro-Life supporters being the polar opposite are completely opposed to abortions no matter the situation. 

The most recent and effective action against abortions was the overturning of Roe v. Wade. After forty-nine years, women are now at a risk of  being unable to have reproductive rights. Symbolizing the decline of equality within the country. Another key bill was the Texas Heartbeat Act, Senate Bill 8 signed by Governor Greg Abbott and effective on September 1, 2022. When this bill was passed, abortion was still considered legal in Texas but with extreme limitations. However, it was almost impossible as it “bans abortion in Texas at approximately six weeks – before most people even know they’re pregnant – with no exceptions for rape or incest,” (Planned Parenthood, 2021). As Planned Parenthood stated, fifty percent  of women don’t even realize they’re pregnant at six weeks because some don’t even experience symptoms of pregnancy at five weeks. Some women such as myself have irregular periods, where they are unable to track them monthly. The abrupt pregnancy provides little to no plan of action, which can negatively derail a person’s life for a multitude of circumstances. 

Imagine being a minor, possibly sixteen years old and you were raped. The rapists are not worried about getting you pregnant, it’s probably the last thing on their mind so they release their sperm inside you. Not only is this the most traumatic and vulnerable moment in your life where you were completely violated, physically, emotionally, and mentally. But now because the bill passed, you are expected to have the child of your rapist, regardless of the situation. While cohabiting with him as he still has parental rights unless a conviction is granted where it can be terminated. For nine months and possibly more, you will have to experience the stages of pregnancy, have the child of the man who raped you, and be constantly reminding yourself of that horrible day. This destroys and shatters the girl’s well-being. Some victims and survivors may be able to handle and get through these situations, but some will end up with PTSD, depression, and anxiety.  It states, 

“Notably, the law makes no exceptions for victims of rape or incest, which runs counter to public opinion. For decades, Americans consistently have favored exceptions to strict abortion bans — even in Texas. Social workers in the state said that is causing serious harm to sexual assault survivors.”. 

Preventing rape victims from getting abortions deteriorates their health in the long run. They’ll have to give birth to the child of their assaulter and raise that very child. 

There are cases where women decide to terminate the pregnancy due to financial insecurities and where the father of the child ends up leaving after learning about the pregnancy. Thus leaving the mother to be the sole person responsible for the child’s future. To even be able to conceive a child is a two-way street, the father should also legally be demanded to carry the burdens as well. The ANSIRH  states, 

“We found that in the years before seeking an abortion, credit ratings for both groups were similar. However, the group that was denied abortion had a 78% increase in having debt that was 30 days or more past due, and their chances of having negative public records, such as bankruptcies and evictions, increased by 81%. They were also less likely to have a credit score in the prime range (680 – 739) and negative financial effects could be seen for up to five years after the birth year”. 

In the case where the families struggle to find enough to make ends meet, how will conceiving the child be beneficial to both the parent(s) and the future life of the child? Yes Pro-Lifers, the birth of a child holds significance but so does the quality of life they live. Adoption and foster care are always options, but not necessarily good ones. Sophia Williams-Baugh shares her experience with the foster care system in a blog post “They Don’t Know the Life of a Foster Child”, she mentions the lack of stability and belonging. “Growing up in state care led to struggling with stability as a young adult. I was never taught to work through any problems when I was in the system,” (William-Baugh). There has been a stigma around the system for as long as anyone can remember due to the emotional, mental, behavioral and developmental problems that children often face. Foster care, unlike adoption, is a temporary commitment as there are no legal parental rights. If there’s a situation, they can be instantly kicked out after a complaint as a result children can constantly hop from foster homes, and never find a true home. This can cause years of trauma for the child, which could’ve been avoided if the biological mother was given the right to abort. 

 Ask yourself this, “Why does the government have jurisdiction over what a woman decides to do with her body?” Not to mention the several different situations that every single woman has when deciding to proceed with abortion such as pedophilia, rape, abuse,  incest, and financial insecurities, Advocates of Youth, gave over 1500 people an opportunity in a campaign to share their stories and experiences with abortion. 

Sarah writes, “If I had a child with my abuser, my child’s life would have been broken from the start. That’s not fair to them or me.” Lisette writes, “First of all when you are desperately poor like that and under the influence, it becomes hard to do the most basic day-to-day things, let alone find the money to travel out of town for several days to access healthcare,” (Advocates for Youth). 

These are only two stories out of millions that have been brought to light that vividly presents the amount of pressure and consideration when it comes to abortion. None of these women decided lightly to abort their fetus or baby. It states, “According to the World Health Organization, 23,000 women die from unsafe abortions each year, and tens of thousands more experience significant health complications globally. A recent study estimated that banning abortion in the U.S. would lead to a twenty-one percent increase in the number of pregnancy-related deaths overall and a thirty-three increase among Black women, simply because staying pregnant is more dangerous than having an abortion.” Making abortion illegal might seem like a beneficial plan, but it just ends up leading to “back-alley” (illegal and typically dangerous) surgeries where women try their best to find any sort of medical thus also drastically increase pregnancy-related deaths. The issue prevalent is how the government’s decision to make abortion illegal negatively affects women’s health all around the country. 

While abortion is considered legal on paper, some restrictions limit women so heavily that it might as well be considered illegal. This is simply just another way of just denying them their right to their own body and reproductive health care which should be considered unconstitutional. DiAntonio states, “Multiple studies indicate that the inability to afford abortion care places pregnant individuals further into poverty and harms their health as well as the wellbeing of their current and future children,” (Health Law, 2022). Bills such as these demonstrate the fact that anti-abortion and pro-choice supporters are more driven on the birth of the child rather than the future of the child. 

In these situations, the mother and baby would benefit through a safe abortion process. By no means is abortion the “easy way out” as it takes a level of maturity to understand that you are unfit to take care of another human being.  The decision process can be an emotional and mental turmoil which makes a person strong.