Bans Off My Body: Abortion is Healthcare
Abortion is healthcare.
The United States of America is currently engaged in a contentious discussion regarding individuals’ control over their own bodies, raising doubts about its reputation as the “land of the brave and the home of the free.” In a recent ruling known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the Supreme Court concluded that the constitution does not guarantee a right to abortion, thereby depriving millions of people throughout the country from accessing abortion services. Consequently, pregnant individuals will now face potential dangers to their well-being and even their survival.
After constitutionally protecting the right to abortion for almost 50 years, the U.S. has now decided, in the 21st century, when we are supposed to move forward as a society, to leave each state to determine the legality of people having a say over their bodies. It was merely a privilege and not a “right,” because rights should never be so easy to take away. Although the U.S. has sparked the conversation, more than 74 countries have complete bans or strict restrictions on abortions. It does not matter whether someone’s life is at risk or not. No one should have to carry a pregnancy to term against their will. A human body is not a political playground, and abortion is healthcare.
How is this a debate?
Parties that oppose abortion discuss reasons such as religion, fetal rights, and women’s health. These arguments are deeply rooted in misinformation and discriminatory ideologies and can be easily dismantled. Firstly, there are almost 10,000 distinct religions worldwide, and each has a different outlook on abortion. Anyone with a political agenda uses religion as a mechanism of social control. So when the opponents talk about religion and its rules, they are talking about “their” religion and want everyone to conform to “their” rules. We integrate religion, and for us, it is unacceptable to let one’s beliefs dictate another’s life choices. Secondly, a fetus is not a separate entity from the mother, so the mother is the fetus’s moral guardian in this symbiotic relationship.
Abortion is a common medical procedure.
An abortion is a medical procedure that ends a pregnancy. Millions of women, girls, and others capable of pregnancy need abortion as primary healthcare. Approximately one in five people capable of pregnancies have an abortion by 30, and one in four by age 45 (National Health Law Program, 2022). A person’s decision to have an abortion can be influenced or necessitated by many factors. Contraceptive failures, barriers to contraceptive access and use, rape, incest, intimate partner violence, fatal anomalies, and illness during pregnancy are reasons people can seek abortions. Pregnancy complications such as placental abruption, bleeding from placenta previa, preeclampsia, or eclampsia can sometimes be so severe that abortion is the only way for the pregnant person to survive. The abortion rate difference is very insignificant between countries where abortion is prohibited or restricted (37 per 1000 people) and countries that allow it (34 per 1000 people).
Criminalizing abortions does not stop them.
Banning abortion does not stop abortion. It only stops the safe ones. Illegalizing or restricting abortions will leave people with no choice but to resort to an unsafe means to end unwanted pregnancies. 13% of all maternal deaths, or nearly 50,000 annually, are due to complications from unsafe procedures, including self-inflicted abdominal and bodily trauma, ingestion of dangerous chemicals, and self-medication using different drugs. Twenty-five million unsafe abortions occur annually, whereas when a trained healthcare provider does it, abortion procedures are safer than childbirth. Unsafe abortions that lead to deaths and injuries can be avoided by ensuring everyone has access to sex education, effective contraception, and safe and legal abortions. As with all medical decisions, people other than the person’s doctor should not get in the way of an abortion decision. Like all other patients, people accessing abortions are entitled to privacy, respect, and support. Bans and restrictive laws on abortion prevent doctors from providing the best care for their patients.
Abortion is not just an issue for cisgender white women.
Abortion restrictions cause more harm to low-income people and already disadvantaged communities, including people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. The quality of the healthcare people get often depends on their income, where they live, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and more. Certain groups of people face more harm than others. Cisgender women and girls assigned as females at birth are not the only ones who may need access to abortion services. Intersex people, transgender men, and boys can also have the capacity for pregnancy and need these services. Excluding different gender identities while talking about reproductive rights opens them up to violence and discrimination. 28% of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals report harassment in medical settings. Abortion rights should be available, accessible, and inclusive for anyone who needs them.
