While the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is still unknown, the general public is exasperated.
Women are tired. They’re tired of hearing other people dictate what to do with their bodies.
And while this may seem like an unimportant matter of opinion to some, the reality is that the decision to outlaw abortion puts women’s health and safety in danger.
According to the World Health Organization, when people with unintended pregnancies do not have access to safe, timely and affordable procedures, they often resort to unsafe abortions.
To put more barriers in front of women and prevent us from proper healthcare in a country that has the resources for safe procedures is a crime.
Ultimately, abortion is and should be a human right.
WHO reports that unsafe abortions are the leading cause of maternal deaths, even though they are preventable.
WHO also reports that approximately 78,000 deaths occur annually from unsafe procedures.
Complete eradication of abortion is nearly impossible and attempting to do so will only lead to more harm.
The Health and Human Rights Journal reports that in El Salvador, where abortions were criminalized, nearly 19,000 procedures took place between 2005 and 2008.
HHRJ also said that it was a possibility that the number might be higher.
To be pro-choice does not mean that all individuals will be forced to have abortions.
To be pro-choice means to rightfully give women full autonomy of their bodies because they’re the ones who have to deal with what comes after pregnancy.
If one is truly pro-life, they would think about those who did not plan to be mothers.
They would think about the children who would otherwise end up in orphanages.
They would also think about women whose lives would be in danger from pregnancy-related health complications.
In the United States of America, we brag about being one of the most developed countries, but affordable healthcare is still out of reach.
In the United States of America, we claim to be a forward-thinking country, yet we seem to always be headed backward.
In the United States of America, freedom is preached, but only for a selected few.
