That’s Not Very “Pro-Life” of You (Women are Dying, Wake Up)
An Argumentative Essay
The issue of Abortion Laws has been a very controversial one for decades, and even centuries in America. From this, heated debates have generated; with supporters on both sides defending their positions. Pro-choice activists, who stress the importance of a woman’s autonomy and her right to make choices regarding her own body, believe that both individual freedom and healthcare depend on access to safe and legal abortions. In contrast, pro-life supporters focus on the moral implications of abortion, prioritizing the rights of the unborn. As the situation of Abortion rights continues to change, distinctly referring to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, it is critical to recognize that limiting or restricting access to abortion not only undermines Constitutional Rights, but also endangers the well-being, health, and the lives of women across the nation.
The History of Abortion
The regulation and criminalization of abortion in the United States has a very long and intricate history. For much of America’s earlier history, abortion was a relatively common practice in society, particularly before “quickening”–the point at which fetal movement is first distinguishable, normally around the fourth month of pregnancy (Planned Parenthood, 2024). Originally viewed as a standard part of women’s healthcare, newspapers and early medical texts provided women with herbal methods, among others, to induce abortion — seeing as medical procedures were uncommon at the time (Planned Parenthood, 2024). However, by the mid-1800s, the medical community, which was dominated by male physicians, started to push for stricter abortion laws, leading to widespread legal restrictions on abortion (Planned Parenthood, 2024). By the early 20th century, specifically in 1910, abortion was criminalized nationwide, forcing women to pursue not only illegal but also dangerous methods of abortion. The 1973 Roe v. Wade’s decision legalized abortion everywhere, giving women the right to choose. But even that was overturned in 2022 after almost 50 years of precedent (History.com, 2023). Abortion plays a significant role in women’s reproductive healthcare, and its criminalization throughout history is a reflection of society’s attempts to control women and restrict their autonomy over their own bodies.
Why Pro Choice?
The pro choice movement not only advocates for a woman’s right to a safe and legal abortion, but on a broader scale defends a woman’s constitutional right to make decisions about her reproductive health. A big part of being a pro choice supporter is putting emphasis on autonomy. Women should have the right to choose whether or not they want to have a child, without interference from the government. The phrase “my body, my choice” is commonly used in reference to the interference from others infringing on women’s individual autonomy and rights to privacy.
After landmark events in the 1960s; such as the rubella epidemic and the case of Sherri Finkbine — which called attention to the health risks being faced by women when denied abortion (Rohlinger). Organizations like the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (now known as NARAL Pro-Choice America) were formed after this revelation of new perspective, running campaigns to repeal restrictive abortion laws (Rohlinger). Arguably one of the most pivotal moments for the pro choice movement, the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade (1973), declared women the right to choose abortion under the constitutional right to privacy.
Despite ongoing opposition from the pro life movement — which aims to limit abortion access on the grounds of morality and ethics, the pro choice movement has continued to defend women’s reproductive rights. One of the main pro life arguments is that the fetus has a right to live, hence the name “pro life”. But what is flawed in this argument is the overlooking of a crucial aspect: a fetus is not a viable life. It cannot survive or continue to grow without its mother until a minimum of 22 weeks, making this claim of “life” a premature one. The question then arises of how one truly calls themselves “pro life” with no consideration for the actual life at hand, the woman who is pregnant. The fetus should not come at the expense of a woman’s autonomy along with her ability to make her own medical decisions.
After Roe Fell
Almost upheld for half of a century, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S Supreme Court in June of 2022, declaring that the constitutional right to abortion no longer exists. In doing this, the states were handed over the freedom to outright ban abortion. During the overturning of Roe, there were many justices who firmly believed that this was the right move. None of them had a uterus, but they shared the opinion that the original ruling in 1973 was “damaging” and “egregiously wrong” (Totenberg & McCammen, 2022). However, not all of the justices agreed with this decision.
In their article, Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, ending right to abortion upheld for decades, Totenberg and McCammen present the opinions of justices whose beliefs reflect the stance of the pro choice movement:
Dissenting were Justices Stephen Breyer, appointed by President Clinton, and Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, appointed by President Obama. They said that the court decision means that “young women today will come of age with fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers.” Indeed, they said the court’s opinion means that “from the very moment of fertilization, a woman has no rights to speak of. A state can force her to bring a pregnancy to term even at the steepest personal and familial costs.” “With sorrow — for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection — we dissent,” they wrote. (2022)
The reversal of Roe v. Wade has taken away a constitutional right that women fought for over many years. Since the overturning in 2022, Abortion has been illegalized in 13 states (The Center for Reproductive Rights). These 13 states are where abortion is completely banned, with no exception for rape or incest. 5 additional states have limitations on abortion as well; such as the 6–18 week limit. This decision has not only caused heavy emotional turmoil for women and pro choice activists across the nation, but has heightened the maternal mortality rates statewide.
Within the last few years, many women have found it impossible to access needed abortion care. A 14-year old in Arizona was denied medically indicated medicine she was taking for years prior, a woman was sent away when experiencing a misscarriage in Wisconsin to bleed without medical supervisions, a woman in Texas had to drive 18 hours to another state in order to receive care for her ectopic pregnancy (Spitzer & Weitz & Buchanan). These are just a few examples of how these bans on abortions are harming women. But unfortunately it does get worse, women are losing their lives.
Amber Nicole Thurman
Amber Nicole Thurman was a 28-year old woman who worked as a medical assistant and was a single mother to a young boy. She died when she couldn’t legally access abortion care in Georgia.
After taking pills for an abortion, Thurman experienced a rare complication. Not all of the fetal tissue excreted from her body (Surana). She needed a procedure called dilation and curettage, also known as D&C: to clear the fetal tissue from her uterus. But when she showed up to Piedmont Henry Hospital, they did not help her (Surana). This is because Georgia had recently passed a law making this procedure a felony, threatening doctors with jail time. Even after doctors warned the state that women will die who need emergency abortion care if they make it illegal, they illegalized it anyway (Surana). They knew women would start dying — and they made the tragic decision anyway.
(Surana), in her article about abortion bans leading to delayed medical care, she delves into Thurman’s experience in the hospital:
Thurman waited in pain in a hospital bed, worried about what would happen to her 6-year-old son, as doctors monitored her infection spreading, her blood pressure sinking and her organs beginning to fail. It took 20 hours for doctors to finally operate. By then, it was too late.
Amanda Thurman’s case was brought to light as the first documented instance with a direct link from the abortion ban to a death, which was officially deemed as preventable (Surana). Thurman died in August of 2022, just two months after the overturning of Roe v. Wade that June. Since then, women have unfortunately continued to die, even women who weren’t looking to have abortions — but had problems with their pregnancies and needed help.
Navaeh Crain
Navaeh Crain was only 18 years old when she died. Crain was looking forward to having her baby girl, sharing sentiments with her own mother about buying her dresses, and even landed on the name Lillian (Presser & Sarana). She was six months pregnant when she woke up the day of her baby shower with blood pouring down her thighs (Presser & Surana).
(Presser & Surana) note that Crain made three visits to the hospital the day that she died:
The first hospital diagnosed her with strep throat without investigating her sharp abdominal cramps. At the second, she screened positive for sepsis, a life-threatening and fast-moving reaction to an infection, medical records show. But doctors said her six-month fetus had a heartbeat and that Crain was fine to leave. Now on Crain’s third hospital visit, an obstetrician insisted on two ultrasounds to “confirm fetal demise,” a nurse wrote, before moving her to intensive care.
Navaeh Crain’s case was another that was deemed preventable had these abortion bans not been in place in her state, Texas. “Pregnant women have become essentially untouchables” said Sara Rosenbaum, a health law and policy professor emerita at George Washington University (Presser & Surana). With these abortion bans set in place, doctors will continue to be fearful of providing women with necessary medical care, and women will continue to die. That’s not very “pro life”.
Women Deserve Better
The bottom line in the discussion of abortion is that women deserve the fundamental right to make decisions about their own bodies. The overturning of Roe v. Wade has put this right in jeopardy for women across the United States. Abortion access is not only a matter of choice; but a matter of autonomy, safety, and health. Stories like those of Amber Nicole Thurman and Navaeh Crain are tragic examples of the dangers presented by restrictive abortion laws. Amber and Navaeh were not statistics. They were women. They were human beings. They should not be dead. But they are. It is critical to understand the severity of women having legal access to abortion care, as it is a part of their deserved autonomy and healthcare. We need systemic change. And we need it now. Wake up.
Reference List
History.com. (2023). Roe v. Wade. .
Planned Parenthood. (2024). Abortion is Central to the History of Reproductive Health Care in America. .
Presser, L., & Surana K. (n.d.). A Pregnant Teenager Died After Trying to Get Care in Three Visits to Texas Emergency Rooms.
Rohlinger, D. A. (n.d.). The Pro-Life and Pro-Choice Movements.
Spitzer, E., Weitz, T., & Buchanan, M. J. (2022). Abortion Bans Will Result in More Women Dying.
Surana, K. (2024). Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgie, Experts Say This Mother’s Death Was Preventable.
Totenberg, N., & McCammon, S. (2022). Supreme Court overturns Roe. V Wade, ending right to abortion upheld for decades.
The Center for Reproductive Rights. (n.d.). After Roe Fell: Abortion Laws by State.
