Abortion: a Modern Day Story of Women's Rights

It has been debated time and time again over whether or not abortion should be legal but the fact that most people don't remember is abortion is already legal. Though since it has become legal, those against abortion have been trying to make it harder to obtain an abortion with raising the costs, 24 hour waiting period, mandatory ultrasounds and the thousands of protesters that both verbally and physically attack abortion clinics everyday. Due to the fact that many women cannot afford reproductive healthcare services, the federal government should help aid those in need by making services like abortion readily available and at a lower cost.

Pro-Lifers’ argument is that the fetus is a human being from the moment of conception to the moment of birth and should have the rights of any fully alive human. However, with highly opinionated statements such as these, it seem to place the life of the unborn fetus before the well-being and possibly the life of the mother which is not making every life matter, as that is what their goal is. The fact that millions of women all over the world risk their lives attempting to terminate pregnancies in unsafe ways such as drinking bleach or stabbing their reproductive systems with sharp objects is a problem that needs to be taken care of. (Bring Abortion). If that many women are choosing to risking their lives, then the United States government should be providing safe, and affordable alternatives to women who choose to abort in attempt to save the lives of women who had no other choice. Lastly, due to a deep stigma attached to abortion, many women from rural areas use traditional methods for termination of the fetus which are extremely unsafe and sometimes fatal. These unsafe abortions create significant maternal health challenges around the world (Breaking Taboo). The health of the mother, both physical and mental, should take priority over the life of a yet to be born child. If there was safer alternatives and proper care, there would be many lives saved.

With abortion, the lack of affordability causes far more problems than just monetary. It can bring hardship in both physical health and mental health just from the wait while the pregnant woman raises the money for the termination of her child. Seven out of every ten women that receive an abortion would rather have it earlier but must wait due to the cost being too much of a strain on their budget (Abortion Coverage). The wait has the potential to be the hardest part of the abortion process because there is numerous amounts of pressure given from people who do not wish the fetus to be aborted, even if it is the best for the women involved. Delays lead to higher costs in travel, and childcare in addition to the wages lost by taking time off work (Abortion Coverage). This makes getting an abortion even more of a hardship on the women and her family because many struggle to come up with the thousands of dollars being charged for abortions. Since the supreme court already declared a woman's right to choose abortion protected under the right to privacy, then it must be made affordable to the common citizen. Certainly, in the past half a century women’s rights have improved greatly but have not yet made easily accessible; including the with the case of Roe v. Wade bringing progress to women’s control of their own body. This was a major step towards empowerment and has grown to be a symbol of women’s independence (Partial Birth). With this evidence it is apparent that the problem at hand this was a case of great importance and will continue to be remembered long after the controversy on abortion is over.

Many Pro-Lifers state that if a woman or family cannot afford a pregnancy then they should have never gotten pregnant in the first place and this justifies defunding abortion clinics and reproductive health centers such as Planned Parenthood (Abortion Choices). Nonetheless, for nearly a century, Planned Parenthood has promoted and aided in every women’s health and well-being, and is strictly based on respect for each individual’s right, no matter the situation, to make informed, independent decisions about their own reproductive health and family planning. Their services include cancer screenings, birth control, STD testing, and many more preventative services in addition to safe abortions that are all affordable options to the average woman (Planned Parenthood). Although abortion has been legal for 36 years, poverty stricken women still struggle to obtain the reproductive health care that could provide or even prevent abortions due to rising costs and lowering insurance coverage. (The Abortion Choices of Poor Women). Due to the fact that many women still struggle to get reproductive health services, the federal government should help aid those in need, and make the services readily available. Finally, confidential health care is a law upheld to the federal level. For women of a lower socio-economic level, the more realistic option that people are choosing is paying $30 dollars for a risky and illegal abortion pill that might not even work as opposed to having affordable and safe reproductive health care made available by the government. (Abortion Choices). This is a devastating reality that many people face everyday. Just because a women doesn’t have much money shouldn’t mean they have to go to that length for their own health.

Abortion continues to be a heated issue even long after it was declared legal in 1973. Due to the fact that many women cannot afford reproductive healthcare services, the federal government should help aid those in need by making services like abortion readily available and at a lower cost. With financial aid for reproductive health care the government would prevent more injuries and fatalities due to unsafe termination methods. There are many hardships that come along with an abortion but the financial aspect of it should not be one of them as it only causes delays, debt, and disappointment.