Abortion Rights and Misconceptions

The recent developments regarding abortion, particularly the overturning of Roe v. Wade, have raised a multitude of questions, many of which remain unanswered. Does abortion cause infertility? Why is abortion so stigmatized? Does abortion cause mental illness? What is known is that abortion is a critical part of healthcare. The World Health Organisation states: “Every day in 2020, almost 800 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.” The number of women who lost their lives every day in 2020 did not need to become a reality. Abortion within healthcare procedures remains incredibly crucial to women’s health, especially when cases evolve into life-or-death situations. Outside of health concerns, all women should have the ability to access reliable abortion services, especially in cases of assault and unwanted pregnancy within specified ages, specifically: teens and those who are not yet ready to bear such responsibilities.

What is Roe v. Wade?

Roe v. Wade was a pivotal legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on January 22, 1973, that overly restrictive state regulation of abortion is unconstitutional. The Court, through Justice Harry A. Blackmun's majority opinion, held that Texas statutes criminalizing most abortions violated the constitutional right to privacy. This right was indicated in the liberty guarantee of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment ("...nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law"). However, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022.

The case originated in 1970 when "Jane Roe"—a pseudonym to protect the plaintiff, Norma McCorvey filed a federal lawsuit against Henry Wade, the Dallas County, Texas district attorney, where Roe lived. The Supreme Court rejected Roe’s claim of an absolute right to terminate pregnancy at any stage and in any form. Instead, it aimed to balance the fundamental right to privacy with the state's interests in protecting pregnant individuals' health and the potentiality of human life.

The Court established a framework based on trimesters and fetal viability, defined as the capability of meaningful life outside the womb. During the first trimester, the state could not interfere with a person's decision to have an abortion. In the second trimester, the state could regulate abortion procedures to protect pregnant individuals' health but could not ban abortions. From the end of the second trimester, identified as the beginning of viability, the state could regulate or prohibit abortions to protect the pregnant individual's health or preserve fetal viability. Nonetheless, the state could not criminalize abortions necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant individual.

Does Abortion Cause Infertility?

Abortion does not cause infertility and misinformation about abortion contributes to the stigma of receiving one. When women have an impression that abortion is dangerous and causes them to be vulnerable to illnesses, they are less likely to obtain one even if their life is at risk. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG), an abortion is a low-risk procedure. The later a woman has an abortion, the higher her risk of complications. However, the risk of death after childbirth is 14 times greater than the risk of death following an early abortion.

Are Abortions Detrimental to Mental Health?

Regarding mental health concerns (targeting women specifically), having direct access to abortion services increases the likelihood of improvements, rather than remaining as a ‘detriment.’ There have also been proven studies indicating improvements in familial stability (Greater Good Magazine, 2022). “In one study, researchers compared women who received an abortion to those who were turned away and found that they had less anxiety, higher self-esteem, and greater life satisfaction one week post-abortion.[...] On the other hand, women who gave birth to an unwanted child (before Roe v. Wade allowed women to have legal abortions) were shown to be more depressed in middle age than women who’d had wanted childbirth, planned or otherwise.” (Greater Good Magazine, 2022.)

Over time, the women who had experienced less anxiety in comparison to the opposite were able to, in turn, remain content with their lives, encouraging others to feel the same (within their family or those in frequent contact with the person). 

In addition, if women can access all of the resources necessary to have abortions, it will become much less likely for physical symptoms to occur as well. As a result of the stress the woman would face (if she were not able to access those resources), she would also face physical stressors to her body, which would make the situation worse, creating adverse effects that could have been avoided with the abortion.

Citations:

“Four Ways Access to Abortion Improves Women’s Well-Being.” Greater Good, 2022, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_access_to_abortion_improves_womens_well_being.  Accessed 2 Aug. 2024.

Kay, C. (2020, January 16). Fertility After Abortion: Does Abortion Affect Fertility? Healthline. Retrieved July 16, 2024, from https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/can-abortion-cause-infertility#risks 

Opondo, E., & Harper, C. (2022, September 26). Institutional misogyny is a threat to reproductive justice everywhere. ODI. Retrieved July 16, 2024, from https://odi.org/en/insights/institutional-misogyny-is-a-threat-to-reproductive-justice-everywhere/ 

Rescue.org. (2022, July 20). Why safe abortion is critical health care and a human right. International Rescue Committee. Retrieved July 16, 2024, from https://www.rescue.org/article/four-reasons-safe-abortion-critical-health-care 

Roe v. Wade | Summary, Origins, Right to Privacy, & Overturning. (2024, July 16). Britannica. Retrieved July 23, 2024, from https://www.britannica.com/event/Roe-v-Wade 

World Health Organization. (2024, April 26). Maternal mortality. World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved July 16, 2024, from https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality