The Negative Impact Of The Abortion Ban In The United States
By Jada Lowe
A pregnant woman arrives in a hospital trembling in pain. She found out that she was suffering from a miscarriage and her life was suddenly in danger due to an infection. An abortion was what was needed to save her life, but the doctors could not do it, and as a result, she passed away. This is what happened to Dr. Savita Halappanavar in 2012 under Ireland’s abortion ban.
This is just one of many examples of the struggles women have to face when dealing abortion bans. Upholding outdated polcies have costly consequences. That is why it is absolutely outrageous for the United States to reverse the right to a woman’s choice.
On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. Roe v Wade was a ruling made by the United States Supreme Court that protects women and people who can get pregnant right to have an abortion after fifteen weeks. 26 states are planning on enforcing the ban. The ban includes people who were pregnant through rape and incest.
Roe v Wade was decided in 1973. The ban on abortions was deemed unconstitutional because it went against the right to privacy. The right to privacy is protected by the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution. The integrity of the constitution is called into question because they are criminalizing a human right. The rights that the American women fought so long and hard to uphold. Now 50 years later, when people thought progress was being made such as having the first female Vice President, Kamala Harris, women have fewer rights.
The Supreme Court is the highest in America but they don’t represent the diversity of the United States. Mostly made up of white men, two of which were accused of sexual assault, should not make decisions on behalf of everyone. Americans are going to be the ones living with the consequences of the Supreme Court's actions. Statistics show that most Americans want to keep abortions legal. That doesn’t sound like a country run by democracy.
The abortion ban is harmful in many ways and the United States isn’t prepared for the impacts that the ban will cause. The ban is happening in a country without paid maternity leave, an increase in the minimum wage, a solution to the formula shortage, access to free healthcare, mental health services for postpartum depression, and fixing the foster care and adoption system. The states moving forward with the ban have denied federal money to extend postpartum Medicaid and Medicaid under the Affordable Care act to help working-poor adults.
As of 2022, there are currently 400,000 children in the foster care system. In the system, many children face abuse and suffer mental illnesses as a result of being treated negatively in their foster homes. Foster children don’t have a high chance of being adopted and are more likely to be incarcerated and homeless in the future. This ban can’t be because America cares about the children or there would be an increase in resources. The ban will only uphold the cycle of poverty which is required to keep the capitalist system afloat.
Banning abortions means banning safe abortions. Illegal abortions are a serious problem that can lead to death and long-term health effects. Illegal abortions will become more common and will primarily affect the people without the money and resources to get safe abortions. They won’t be able to travel to other states and Countries to get a safe abortion.
Forcing pregnancy will affect the most marginalized groups in the United States. That includes people of colour, disabled people, trans people, non-binary, homosexuals, the working class, and people living in poverty. These new rules aren’t to benefit people in any way. These groups are already heavily policed and this is another way to criminalize them.
Black women aren’t foreign to the concept of the government trying to police their bodies. Sterilization was forced upon Black women for decades to lower the population of Black people in America. Now America is forcing pregnancies on Black women when they’re more at risk for homicide and death during childbirth. Homicide is one of the top causes of maternal death for Black women. Black women have more barriers to cross when dealing with abuse, unfortunately, abuse doesn’t stop when they’re pregnant.
All these effects are a reality for a lot of people today. Without abortion and proper birth control, people are at a higher risk of death, murder, suicide, and long-term injuries. Abortions can be a life-saving tool. The Supreme Court is there to decide what rules are relevant to the American people. Abortion is relevant. It has saved lives and it is an essential part of health care. Surely, they already know this and are choosing to ignore these facts.
Being poor and a minority isn't a crime. However, they are being punished and are constantly failed by the system. This risk of an abortion ban outways any moral factors because if the ban is there to protect lives it should be available for everyone.
America is supposed to be the land of the free, but free for who? American women for centuries had to fight for the right to vote, buy property, and now they’re fighting for the right to make a choice again. The right to choose should not be controversial and a topic of discussion, everyone should have that right. The government is going to have to answer to all the foreseen problems that this ban will cause.
