Abortion is a topic that stirs up a lot of feelings and opinions on both sides of the debate. After the Supreme Court reversed Roe V. Wade in June, the country was in an uproar. People started making blanket statements about their opinions or ideas as if they were facts.
But what is the reality? What are the facts? Let’s look at some of the common slogans being shared and find out.
Women will die.
This is a mantra that is covering social media, protests, and political discussions. But is it true? Will women die because the states are now in charge of abortion?
In the United States, currently, about 700 women die each year as a result of complications from pregnancy and birth. In 2018 there were about 17 maternal deaths for 100,000 live births.
States with restrictive abortion laws (like Texas or Missouri) have an exception for women who are having a medical emergency. No doctor is going to see a pregnant woman on her deathbed and choose not to help her live.
People on both sides of the abortion debate want women to live. Changes to laws will not change that fact.
Women who receive an illegal, unsafe abortion are the ones at a higher risk of complications than a woman who follows the law and has legal, safe healthcare at a clean facility.
Women no longer have access to good healthcare
Planned Parenthood, Gynecologists, and other women’s clinics are still licensed to provide other services like cancer screening, pregnancy testing, and pap smears. Though abortion is their big money maker, these clinics are still available for other run-of-the-mill procedures that should be equally as important to them.
Women today have fewer rights than their grandmothers.
In the last 50 years, women have fought for more rights to hold positions of leadership, and a place at the table in predominantly male professions. The Family and Medical Leave Act provided women with the opportunity to take time off work to have a baby without fear of losing a job.
The Equal Pay Act ensured that women would have a fair shot at a job and promotions, just like any man would. This closed the gap between male and female pay rates. For example, up until around 1980, women were only paid 60 percent of what a man was paid for the same job, with a 40 percent gap in paychecks. In 2020, there was only a 17 percent difference in pay between genders.
And even in the realm of abortion, there are still more legal opportunities than there were before Roe.
According to the Washington Examiner, abortion is not illegal at the federal level. “The Constitution no longer guarantees the right to an abortion, but that does not mean access to the procedure has been removed nationwide.”
The United States is now “behind the times” in comparison to other countries
According to the Washington Examiner, “The U.S. has been an international outlier on abortion rights. Most countries do not permit abortions beyond 15 weeks, about nine weeks before the point of viability established in Roe v. Wade…When the law was signed, only six countries besides the U.S. “permit[ted] nontherapeutic or elective abortion-on-demand after the twentieth week of gestation,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the majority opinion.
In other words, before the reversal of Roe V. Wade, the United States was one of the most liberal countries in the world when it came to abortion.
Pregnant women do not have the right to make choices for themselves.
Pregnancy might not have been your choice. But what you do with that is entirely up to you. Yes, people may offer you their opinions. You may feel pressured to rush into a decision without taking time to glean all the information. But the reality is, your destiny and that of your child are entirely yours to decide. You have time. You have options.
Abortion continues to be an option in almost half of the United States.
An adoption is an option for unplanned pregnancies as well. There are plenty of good people who dream of being parents but have trouble conceiving. It is worth taking the time to learn more about the adoption journey. We can give you more information about adoption and connect you with people who can help.
Parenting is also an option, even if you are terrified and have no idea what comes next. Our staff can talk to you about what questions you should consider when thinking about parenting your child.
We would love to help you build the confidence you need to take your next step. Contact us today for more information.