Millions in the US are about to lose access to safe abortion procedures, and it’s only the beginning
Roe v. Wade, the 1973 supreme court decision that made legal access to abortion a constitutional right, is about to be overturned according to a leaked draft opinion obtained by Politico.
On Tuesday morning, Justice John Roberts confirmed the document as authentic and ordered the marshal of the supreme court to launch an investigation into the leak, something historians are calling unprecedented.
The supreme court is yet to take an official vote, but thanks to three Trump-appointed conservative justices, the draft opinion may as well be our preview of what’s to come. Here’s what that decision means for millions of women and non-binary Americans.
First and foremost, overturning Roe v. Wade does not immediately outlaw abortion, it instead gives states the power to create laws that protect, limit or abolish it altogether. Safe abortion will still be accessible in some states like California, whose legislature has already made commitments to keep it legal.
It’s important to mention that new laws, no matter how restrictive, will not stop abortions from happening. It only forces pregnant people to look elsewhere for reproductive healthcare, often times through unsafe and unsanitary procedures that put their lives in danger.
Some may have the resources to travel to other states, but anti-abortion laws unfairly target not only women, but those living in the most marginalized communities.
Data from the Guttmacher Institute says 49% of women who had abortions in 2014 were below the poverty line. 46% were single or never married. Another statistic: they were most likely living in a blue state.
Red states have tried relentlessly to limit access to abortion with laws like Texas’ Heartbeat Bill that bans terminating a pregnancy “after the detection of embryonic or fetal cardiac activity,” typically occurring six weeks after conception. It’s also before most women even realize they’re pregnant.
Just like the heartbeat bill, there are hundreds of laws limiting access to abortion, with 26 states likely or certain to ban it. With the removal of Roe v. Wade, clinical abortions are likely to never be performed in those states again.
It won’t stop there either. There are already laws in place or being drafted that criminalizes people that get abortions and the doctors that perform them.
Some states allow citizens to report women who have received abortions and even sue them for it. Journalists and researchers also believe that limits on free contraception are already in the works as well.
These laws punish the most vulnerable people; those with low income, no resources, little to no assistance from their state government and without laws that allow exceptions for legal abortion, it punishes victims of rape and incest as well.
How can a country ban abortions without offering any federal maternity leave, any free healthcare, any sex education standards in schools, any free or affordable housing for mothers or whatever else that could ease the incredible burden of parenthood?
The threat of being charged with murder for seeking out essential reproductive healthcare is egregious and meant only to instill fear to people who feel like they have no other options.
According to several national polls, the majority of Americans believe abortion should remain legal, yet a Republican minority in the house and senate is still poised to get one of their biggest wins in the fight for legal abortion.
Targeting abortion clinics such as some planned parenthood facilities has another consequence. It takes away a free resource for breast cancer screenings, STD/HIV tests, birth control, infertility services for women that do want children and so much more.
The lack of viable alternatives for these free services are what make many anti-abortion arguments so redundant. If republicans and anti-abortion groups are planning to force millions of people to bear children, where is the support for mothers after the child is born?
Dems are calling for total mobilization and will likely use this issue to propel voters to vote blue come midterms elections this November. I will say this, democrats have to step it up in terms of results if they ever hope to win a majority again.
Those fortunate enough to live in states that will continue to allow abortion can still support women and non-binary folx in other states by being an advocate for reproductive rights. This starts with educating yourself, your peers and most importantly the youth of America, whose futures will absolutely be affected by the decisions we make today.
A call to men specifically: fight for the women in your lives, fight for the daughters you may have or will have one day, be an advocate for change. Letting women lead the conversation does not mean you don’t get to be a part of it.
Women can’t always be the only ones that advocate for themselves. Men must not be bystanders. If overturning Roe v. Wade shows us anything, its even more proof that this society favors men and gives power to men. Use that power for the greater good, and then use it to destroy patriarchy and build equality for all.
