Supporting Pro-choice is Pro-women Decision

Many Pro-life advocates will argue that abortion is used as a method of birth control, however for a variety of economic and social benefits abortion should be legalized nationally. Although it has been about 46 years since the Supreme Court ruled on the Roe V. Wade case, abortion still remains as one of the most controversial topics today. A recent study done by the Guttmacher Institute, which is a nonprofit group that supports the pro-choice movement; reports that this year alone anti-abortion law makers have passed over 350 abortion restrictions. In which about 40 percent of those restrictions were created in the hopes of completely banning abortions. A few states like Mississippi, Missouri, and Kentucky each have one clinic left that permits women access to safe abortions. Unfortunately, what these law makers fail to realize is the fact that access to safe and legal surgical abortions minimizes injury and death caused by unsafe, illegal abortions to women all around the nation.

A few advocates who are against legalized abortions will often argue that the lack of contraception usage is one of the main reasons for unwanted pregnancies. They instill the belief to the public that contraception allows women the ability to control when and how often they conceive. While there is some truth to that statement, contraceptives are only 99 percent effective. Meaning about 9 out of 100 women taking contraception measures, will still end up conceiving unexpectedly. Keeping in mind numerous women in America are denied the right to affordable health care and therefore contraception for some are not even an option. In fact, many employers have the right to deny workers contraception coverage due to religious rights covered by the first amendment which states: “The federal government has no right to force an individual or organization to pay for services that violate their religious beliefs”.

Religious believers and leaders alike claim the reason why they’re against abortion is because it’s morally unethical and is considered murder. They idolized sexual intercourse as an act that should strictly take place between a husband and his wife for the sole purpose of reproduction. The utilization of contraception has always been taboo within the religious community because children are considered beautiful blessings from God. The argument that life begins at conception is commonly used and is actually incorrect; medical studies have proven personal identity starts once a fetus is able to survive outside the womb on its own or after birth. In 2016, congress with the support of conservative lawmakers voted on a bill that sought to defund Planned Parenthood and essentially deny more than 5 million individuals in need of all reproductive health benefits, including abortion.

Defunding Planned Parenthood would not only affect those who are in need of the assistance, it will actually cause financial strain and burden for all Americans. For the most part numerous services that Planned Parenthood provides is actually intended to prevent unexpected pregnancies and provide sexual education. Over the past 100 years or so these clinics have been a safe haven not just for women but men as well; who have used it for STD screenings, HIV testing and counseling. Denying people, the access to this program is detrimental to the future of America. Ultimately if this program is depleted the need for abortion, the number of families on public assistance and STD cases will increase. Conservative lawmakers who are concerned about taxpayer money funding Planned Parenthood should be concerned with the amount of taxpayer money that will be needed to fund housing, food, healthcare, and schools for these unintended pregnancies.

Commonly women who choose to have an abortion usually don't have the financial resources to support a child and more than likely is living below the poverty line. Some of them are domestic violence victims, who may be unemployed or living on limited income. The heartbeat bill, which denies one the right to an abortion procedure once the fetus has a heartbeat is one of the latest abortion restrictions to resurface. The bill has actually been passed in a few states like Georgia and Ohio. This bill is problematic because on average a woman may realize she is pregnant after several weeks, in which by then the fetus has a heartbeat. Forcing people to raise children that are unwanted, or they can’t afford, can cause emotional trauma on all parties, including the child. Emotions such as depression, anxiety, along with stress can increase the risk of child abuse or neglect, which can have lifelong effects on child, other family members and society as a whole.

Contrary to popular beliefs, although contentious abortion is not only used by low income families and women. In fact, sexual abuse victims and women who choose to terminate abnormal pregnancies have also exercised the right to make reproductive choices as they deem fit. In May of 2019, the state of Alabama passed a new law called “The Human Life Protection Act”, that seeks to ban abortion entirely unless the mother’s life is considered to be in danger. What this eventually means is that victims of rape and woman who experience abnormal pregnancies would be forced to carry those fetuses to full term. Doctors and medical professionals are also affected by this change because “The new law also made performing an abortion a felony punishable by up to 99 years in prison” (“State Abortion Laws”, 2019). Once this law goes in effect in 2020 abortions will be considered illegal, women in the states that choose to pass these laws could be sentenced to life in prison or even given the death penalty. What this means is average Americans will have to dish out even more tax money to provide extra funds for these incarcerated victims. Supporters of this policy claim to have the interest of the American people at heart but their actions say otherwise.

In 2016 President Donald Trump ran his election for presidency on a pro-life platform. The 2020 elections are around the corner, and with hopes of a reelection it can be expected that the Republican party will continue the attack on abortion rights. Women make up nearly half of America’s economy workforce and yet still have to fight for basic fundamental rights. Government officials, who are majority males in high power think it is acceptable to control a women’s independence, financial stability and future because of what they see as unethical. As unbelievable as it may seem the benefits of abortions in the opinion of many outweigh the bad. In some cases, countless abortion supporters may even justify it as form of population control. Although it may sound harsh to some but in reality, the population will increase at a rapid pace if abortions were to become unavailable; which may eventually cause resources to be limited and scarce. Supporting the Pro-choice movement is the ultimate protection to women, American citizens and unborn children everywhere.

Works Cited

1. 'Pregnancy and Childbirth: Should Health Insurance Plans Cover Contraception? Should New Parents Receive Paid Leave from Employers?.' Issues & Controversies, Infobase, 3 Dec. 2012,https://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=6310. Accessed 18 July 2019.
2. 'State Abortion Laws: Should States Pass Laws Restricting Access to Abortion?' Issues & Controversies, Infobase, 1 July 2019, https://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=14678. Accessed 18 July 2019
3. 'Planned Parenthood: Should the Federal Government Allocate Taxpayer Money to Planned Parenthood?' Issues & Controversies, Infobase, 18 July 2019,https://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=2505. Accessed 19 July 2019.
4. 'Abortion: To What Extent Should Women Be Allowed Access to Abortion in the United States?' Issues & Controversies, Infobase, 31 May 2019,https://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=2489. Accessed 20 July 2019
5. 'Religion in Politics: Should religion play a prominent role in politics?' Issues & Controversies,Infobase, 13 Aug. 2004, https://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=2281. Accessed 21 July 2019.