One of the most controversial topics in American politics, abortion, is often associated with the idea of murder. Although many people may wrongly hold this belief, it shouldn’t give the federal government any right to take any legal action to prevent women from getting the medical attention that they want or may need.
On Jan. 22 of 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), ruled under Roe v. Wade in a 7-2 vote that under the Constitution, all women’s rights to an abortion were protected under the Fourteenth Amendment. But, recently in 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned, ending the constitutional right to an abortion and leaving the decision up to each state. As a result, according to the New York Times, 13 states have put in place a full abortion ban while seven other states have set restrictions earlier in pregnancy.
As a woman myself, this has been a complete violation of our rights. I believe every woman should have the right to make decisions on her own body no matter the situation. Although it may not necessarily affect California at the moment, it is difficult to think of so many women around the country who cannot access proper healthcare as a result of ignorance within our government.
The main reason that many people endorse abortion bans is because they believe that abortion is the equivalent to murder, which is not the case. According to Eastside Gynecology, the latest that you can legally and safely get an abortion in general is about 20-24 weeks into the pregnancy unless a complication occurs further along. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the fetus’s lungs haven’t even developed yet at 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Typically, women get an abortion between their late first trimester and their early second trimester, both in which the fetus is not at all fully developed. The fetus is not technically viable until 24-26 weeks into the pregnancy. Additionally, most women don’t wait that long to decide whether or not they want an abortion. Abortions at or after 21 weeks are extremely rare in the United States and they make up 1% of all abortions in the country.
Most people also fail to consider the woman’s financial, physical or mental situation. These women should not be burdened with raising a child if they are not ready to do so. Some women might not have the financial capacity to give the child a stable life, while some other women might have health problems or conditions that may put them in danger if they were to deliver this child. Some just may not feel ready to raise a child. The same people who claim to be “pro-life” continuously advocate for the rights of something that is not alive while sacrificing the needs of the woman, who is alive.
