This past June, Roe v. Wade, the 1971 case that ruled that the United States Constitution protected an individual's right to an abortion was struck down. NPR reports that “As of mid-August, 14 states have banned abortions entirely, and nearly a dozen others have moved to do the same”(Treisman). Many states have also taken action to ban abortion after a shorter number of weeks, reducing the time to detect pregnancy, make a decision, or undergo one. This action by the Supreme Court has been met with a variety of reactions from the people of the United States. Many protests have taken place objecting to the removal, while other people have celebrated this change.
Roe v. Wade was instated on January 22, 1973, and ruled that people in the United States had the fundamental right to access abortion without excessive governmental restriction or interference. This meant that people were able to pursue abortions into the second trimester of pregnancy and that making that personal decision was protected in the constitution. However, before this decision was made, and abortion rights were unprotected, people with unwanted pregnancies were forced to resort to other means. “In 1960, 27 women in California died following abortions. In 1976, post-Roe, none did. Jesse H. Choper’s Judicial Review notes that 'an untold number of women have also avoided being permanently maimed, becoming sterile, or suffering other serious illnesses as a result of the court’s mandate'"(Wright). Roe v. Wade has saved many lives in the United States. The removal of this legislation means an uncertain future for many people with the ability to conceive, whether their lives are changed by being forced to carry a pregnancy and potentially raise a child they are not ready to care for, or their lives are put at risk through uncontrollable complications that need a medical abortion in order to reduce risk of mortality.
As many states change their decisions on the accessibility and legality of abortions, many medical professionals are being placed in difficult situations as well. Harvard Magazine comments, “Delaying care runs counter to a physician’s duty. Said Janiak, ‘What we want is for healthcare providers to be able to do what they think is best for their patient’s health,’” (Walecki). However, with recent laws around providing abortions that are both unspecific and carry potentially longer-term sentences, medical professionals are hesitant. This means many doctors wait to provide treatment until either the fetus aborts “spontaneously” or until the person carrying the fetus sickens enough for the doctor to feel it is “permissible to intervene under the law” (Walecki). No law should prevent people from receiving potentially life-saving care. However, due to the removal of Roe, it is now legal.
In Colorado, the right to abortion is protected due to the Reproductive Health Equity Act. This act declares that “...every individual has a fundamental right to use or refuse contraception; every pregnant individual has a fundamental right to continue the pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion; and a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under the laws of the state,”(Reproductive Health Equity Act). This bill was passed on April 4, 2022, in order to solidify the right to abortion into Colorado law (Reproductive Health Equity Act). Although many reproductive rights, including abortion, are protected in Colorado, millions of people all over the United States lack that at this time. As Matt Hernandez, interviewed by CPR said, “‘People’s lives is not a game. And people need to get angry. Because this is next-level, where people should rise and get angry about it,’” (Verlee, Moret).
Wright, Jennifer. “How Roe v. Wade Has Saved Women's Lives.” New York Post, New York Post, 7 July 2018, https://nypost.com/2018/07/06/how-roe-v-wade-has-saved-womens-lives/.
Treisman, Rachel. “States with the Toughest Abortion Laws Have the Weakest Maternal Supports, Data Shows.” NPR, NPR, 18 Aug. 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/08/18/1111344810/abortion-ban-states-social-safety-net-health-outcomes.
The New York Times. “Tracking the States Where Abortion Is Now Banned.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 May 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/us/abortion-laws-roe-v-wade.html.
Walecki, Nancy Kathryn. “The Post-Roe World.” Harvard Magazine, 18 July 2022, https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2022/07/post-roe-world-harvard-experts.
“{{Meta.pagetitle}}.” {{Meta.siteName}}, https://www.oyez.org/cases/1971/70-18.
Reproductive Health Equity Act. Reproductive Health Equity Act | Colorado General Assembly. (2022, March 23). Retrieved August 21, 2022, from https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb22-1279
Megan Verlee,Matt Moret,The Associated Press. “Roe v. Wade Has Been Overturned. Colorado Will Now Be One of Few Places in the Region Where Abortion Access Is the Law.” Colorado Public Radio, 25 June 2022, www.cpr.org/2022/06/24/roe-v-wade-has-been-overturned-colorado-will-now-be-one-of-few-places-in-the-west-where-abortion-access-is-the-law.
Comments