Fighting for Rights that Just Get Revoked

Whether it be the right to vote, the pay gap, or abortion, women's rights has always been that controversial topic that people do not want to talk about. Should women be able to make the decision whether to carry a baby or abort? This question basically comes down to “Are you a democrat or republican? Are you pro-choice or pro-life?”

Pro-life or Pro-Choice Image (McDonald)

On January 23rd 1973, the Supreme court struck down the idea of banning abortion all throughout the United States, also known as the Roe vs. Wade supreme court case. After years of women fighting for rights, they finally got them, including the right to abort a baby if they choose to. Forty-nine years later June 28th 2022, Roe vs. Wade was overturned making it illegal for women to have abortions.

To what extent should women be allowed to have an abortion in the United States? Abortions should be legal due to women having the right to their own body and legal abortions allow for safer abortions. Not allowing abortions leads to further overpopulating the adoption systems allowing for a child to grow up in the system, bouncing back and forth between houses without a stable family. Having an abortion is not always the first choice in certain situations. Some women simply can not carry a baby due to their medical history or problems that may arise in the mother or even the child during pregency. According to the CDC, in 2020, there was

23.8 deaths per 100,000 babies born. 

The number of deaths increases from year to year only for the worse.

One in every 50 pregnancies ends up being an ectopic pregnancy 

which is when the fertilized egg implants itself on the outside of the uterus, which can be life threatening 

to not only the mother but the child as well.

Ectopic Pregnancy Image (Hemming)

      If the egg proceeds to grow, the chances of it rupturing increases which then leads to the possibility of the mother bleeding to death. Not allowing for a woman to get that abortion can lead to her risking her life for the baby that might not survive.  

Making abortions illegal will not prevent abortions from happening...

it will only allow for unsafe abortions done by nonprofessionals.

If abortions are not allowed to be given by professionals, women will perform the procedure on themselves for the desperate measures they might be in. Women who experience trauma such as rape, might not want the constant reminder of a baby. Sometimes women are afraid to be asked the questions

“Why are you aborting your baby?”

“How could you do that to a child”

which can prevent them from going to these clinics to get this procedure done by these professionals. Having these safe and open clinics for abortions can save the women from the harm that could be done unto themselves.  

Safe and Legal Abortions Image (The Guardian)

    Abortions should also be covered by health care which makes it accessible for majority of women. Paying out of pocket might not be an option for everyone. If women are unable to cover the costs of having a baby or aborting the baby, it can lead to them trying to abort the baby themselves and leaving themselves with permeant damage. Taxpayers may argue that they do not want to have to pay for abortions, or as they claim,

“Why should we have to pay for YOUR mistake?”

     Health care doesn’t cover all birth controls or all contraceptives, which would help prevent a situation like this from happening. Not all women have access to the money for these contraceptives that helps prevent situations like this to happen. Health care covering abortions and contraceptives might put the women at ease and could help prevent abortions from needing to happen in the first place.  

Further populating the adoption system would not be beneficial to these children. Some parents give their children up for adoption due to money issues, birth defects or simply teenage pregnancy. However, in the adoption system it is so hard to adopt a child.  Some women would prefer to abort their baby than put them in a system that would leave them in bad situations then, if not adopted, on the streets once they turn 18 years old.

Once reaching the teenage years, children are

less likely to get adopted.

Most families that adopt are unable to have their own children, leaving them to adopt the babies so they can experience every steppingstone with those children. Not to mention, the children that have disabilities are less likely to be adopted due to medical needs and some of them might never be able to live on their own. Which then leaves these children in desperate need of a family at a loss with no one in their corner. Some people might not want that for their children so they might choose to abort the baby for the better.

Women's Rights Protest Image (The Guardian)

Making the decision to abort your baby might leave a lifelong emotional impact but taking away the ability is not the decision for the better. Abortions were put into place for women to make the decision of whether they want to carry another life no matter how the child was conceived. Allowing women to have an abortion prevents them from future medical problems, the overpopulation of adoption facilities and fewer unsafe pregnancies done by nonprofessionals.