By: ISABEL MARZULLO, OPINION ASSIGNMENT EDITOR
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Women have been fighting for rights since 1848, and while women have reached many milestones, such as being able to vote and receive a proper education, there have also been many downfalls. One is women losing the right to a safe abortion.
When the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe V. Wade on Jun. 24, 2022, it officially made abortions illegal across 21 states. The Republican party controls the House and Senate in the state of Texas; an individual cannot receive an abortion unless their life is at risk. However, even in states that made abortion illegal, some representatives hold the opposing viewpoint. One Georgia Representative, Renitta Shannon, said,
“I’ve always known what was at stake. That’s why my fight against threats to reproductive freedom, including abortion, has always been unyielding. These decisions should’ve never been left up to the courts. These rights must be secured and protected beyond elections.” Quote from Well and Good.
Even more unsatisfactory, a law exists that declares authorities will arrest any doctor who performs an abortion in states where it’s prohibited. According to Selena Simmons-Duffin from NPR, doctors at a hospital in Missouri told a woman whose water broke at 18 weeks that the Missouri law replaced their right to provide her with an abortion.
With these laws in place, women residing in states where abortion is illegal struggle to find the proper care. For many, the question of expense is an issue; not everyone has the money to travel out of state. Others may not be able to take off work or leave their family.
Some women who cannot travel out of state will attempt an unsafe abortion themselves, leading to possible hospitalization or death.
The number of women without access to safe abortion is distressing. According to Tanya Lewis from Scientific American, around 65,000 pregnancies arose from rape in the 21 states where abortion is illegal.
While many of the banned states have a list of exceptions for when it’s okay to receive an abortion, not all will accept rape.
To remove safe abortions is to remove a vital part of our health care. According to Health Law, “abortion is healthcare. Period.”
People all over the country have been letting the government know abortion is health care by rallying in peaceful protests. Many made signs saying, “Bans off our bodies” and “My body, my choice” in annoyance.
The most recent ruling was in Alabama on Feb. 26, 2024, which stated that embryos should be considered children. The verdict made it complicated for doctors to continue in vitro fertilization. Depending on the age of the woman, embryo transfers can be unsuccessful. With the new ruling, if an embryo is lost, then a vast amount of legal liability is at stake for both the clinics and the patients.
However, last week, the Alabama legislature passed a bill stating that providers protect themselves from lawsuits and criminal prosecution for any damage or death of an embryo. With this new bill, many doctors have thankfully been able to resume in vitro fertilization services. Yet the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Mobile Infirmary, which led to Alabama’s ruling, will not reopen until it receives legal clarification.
While bans on women’s bodies have only been getting stricter, more women than ever are now rallying against our government, and I believe with enough force and enough power, we can make Roe V. Wade legal in every state once again.
marzulig22@bonaventure.edu
