Abortion bans put women’s health and lives at risk

When I think about the women of this country, I think of resilience. But resilience does not mean survival in a system that refuses to protect them. It should not mean having to risk their lives because of lawmakers deciding they know better than doctors or patients. Abortion bans have affected millions of women nationwide, putting many lives at risk and increasing the maternal mortality rate. It is because of this abortion ban that there is a spike in the number of deaths throughout the natal care, according to G.E.P.I.

I have read countless stories of how abortion bans have created fear and stigma, putting health care providers in terrible positions. Most importantly, abortion bans contribute to the trauma of women and young girls being forced into these pregnancies after going through assault, abuse, and rape. 

Throughout history, we have seen women constantly overlooked, hated, judged, and humiliated. It is the stripping of rights fueled by misogyny, focusing on the discriminatory impact on women and the harmful gender stereotypes. Access to abortion is not only basic health care but is also a woman’s right to her bodily autonomy, privacy, and health, which no one should question. 

According to a New York Times article, 19 states have banned abortion, with 12 of those having a full ban. In states like Texas that have completely banned abortion with no exceptions, the mortality rate has risen by 56%. A woman’s risk of maternal death in Texas is 155% higher than in California, a state where abortion is legal and accessible.

As a result, obstetrician-gynecologists and other maternity care providers are hesitant to practice in states with strict laws. The procedures for both abortion and miscarriage cases are often similar; therefore, doctors could end up facing legal charges simply for providing care.

Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, there has been a rise in cases of families like a mother in Mississippi who had to travel more than seven hours to an abortion clinic in Illinois. 

“It was the ugliest feeling having to explain to the doctor that [my teenage daughter] was raped, and then him having to tell you he can’t do anything to help,” said the woman, according to a recent article by the Amnesty International.

Roe v. Wade was a Supreme Court decision that established a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion, made to protect a woman’s choice. How is it that Americans seem to care more about controlling women’s bodies than addressing the countless issues that actually harm this country? Why is it that when a woman seeks control over her own body, she is shamed and judged?