OPINION: Protecting Life Means Guaranteeing Abortion Access

Photo Courtesy of Alex Brandon, Associated Press

The landmark legal decision Roe v. Wade has been the law of the land my whole life. I have always lived under the assumption that in an emergency, federal law would protect my right to obtain safe reproductive healthcare. But an unprecedented leak of a draft opinion revealed that the Supreme Court will likely overturn Roe v. Wade in the coming months, leaving millions of American women without access to abortion. 

The reversal of Roe v. Wade would have profound implications on our behavior as young people. Without access to abortion as a safety net beneath us, the risk of pregnancy will force many people to rethink their choices. This is precisely the intention of conservative, anti-choice lawmakers: To place limits on women’s sexuality and reinforce toxic purity culture. 

Before Roe, women lived in fear of pregnancy. “Even if you knew places or doctors that would give abortions, you had to pull together a lot of money,” My grandmother told me when asked about life pre-Roe. “And even if your parents have money, how much are you going to want to share with them that you just got pregnant?” 

This means that abortion bans will disproportionately harm young and low-income people. In Texas, which has some of strictest anti-abortion laws in the nation, a disparity has already emerged between those who can afford reproductive healthcare and those who cannot. Thousands of Texas women have had to travel across state borders to obtain safe, legal abortions each month, but many are struggling to scrounge up the funds. 

“In addition to the cost of the abortion, which typically ranges from $450 to $600 for the majority of self-pay abortions, these individuals may face travel expenses that could add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars, depending on how far they must travel,” said Kaiser Family Foundation. According to the Myers Abortion Facility Database, this distance will likely be an average of 125 miles if Roe is reversed. 

To make matters worse, many states require women to schedule a mandatory in-person counseling appointment 18 to 72 hours before the abortion procedure itself. Waiting periods force patients to make multiple trips across state lines or find a place to stay overnight - Options which dramatically increase the financial burden of obtaining an abortion. Two trips means double the gas and double the price of transportation, and a hotel room comes with a cost that is out of reach for most lower income women. 

Republican lawmakers argue that restricting access to abortion is a “victory for life.” These lawmakers, however, are living in a utopia that simply does not exist.

Yes, it would be lovely if we lived in a world in which all pregnancies were planned and none were dangerous; a world in which every child could be raised in a loving home with parents who are financially and emotionally prepared to raise them. But that’s not America - not now, and, unfortunately, probably not ever. 

Today, 45% of all pregnancies in America are accidental, a fact which is unsurprising when you consider that almost half of US states don’t require any sex education and 19 million American women live in contraceptive deserts. Ironically, the states with the worst sex education policies and the least access to birth control have some of the strictest anti-abortion laws.

So, to Republican lawmakers: Criminalizing abortion will not protect life. Instead, it will destroy the lives of young, poor women who will be forced to sacrifice their bodies and futures. It will bring a new generation of babies into unstable, impoverished families or into a broken foster care system. And it will kill women who attempt dangerous self-induced abortions out of desperation and fear. 

The only way to protect life is to provide comprehensive sex education, a range of contraceptive methods, and safe abortion services. Even still, twenty-six states will most likely ban abortion immediately after Roe v. Wade is overturned, with no exception for rape or incest.

Although the future looks bleak for women in conservative regions, there is a glimmer of hope: A number of governors have taken a firm stance in favor of protecting the right to choose. Governor Kathy Hochul has vowed that New York will not only guarantee abortion access to its residents, but it will also be a “safe harbor” for out-of-state women in need of abortion care. Furthermore, she has pledged to funnel $35M directly to abortion providers in New York. 

In Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has filed a lawsuit to protect abortion access for her constituents. “The lawsuit asks the court to recognize a constitutional right to an abortion under the Due Process Clause of the Michigan Constitution,” She said in a press release from April. “It also asks the court to stop enforcement of the 1931 Michigan abortion ban.”

Such a lawsuit is both unprecedented and incredibly brave. Whitmer is up for reelection in a state whose Senate and House of Representatives have a Republican majority. This makes her unwavering support for abortion access a risk, but it’s an admirable one. 

State legislators have the power to protect access to reproductive healthcare, and you have the power to elect them. If you will be 18 on or before November 8, it is imperative that you vote in the midterm elections for candidates who support the right to choose. You can register to vote here.

Anyone with the means to make a donation should consider donating to one of these organizations working to make abortion more accessible to women in need. 

Friends, the fight for abortion rights now rests upon our shoulders. Our generation has the most to lose from Roe v. Wade’s reversal, so we must do everything in our power to safeguard abortion access. If we don’t, we will lose our ability to feel safe exploring our sexualities and accessing the healthcare that can save our lives.