How overturning Roe v Wade in the United States will result in more women's death.
According
to a leaked US Supreme Court opinion draft, the nation's highest court is on
the approach of overturning Roe v Wade, the pivotal 1973 case that established
the country's right to abortion. On May 2, the news site Politico revealed a
draught written by Samuel Alito, one of the court's justices. If – or, as many
now believe in the aftermath of this revelation, when – the decision is
overturned, the consequences for women's health will be disastrous.
Making
abortion illegal has little influence on the number of abortions performed,
according to research. According to a 2009 study conducted by doctors at
Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, countries with stricter abortion laws
have higher abortion rates than countries where abortion is readily available. Abortion
restrictions, on the other hand, significantly increase the risk of death for
those who receive them. According to the same study, abortion-related mortality
is 34 times greater in countries with strict abortion laws.
Abortion
is one of the safest gynecological therapies, far safer than delivery if done
appropriately. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), 0.41 deaths per 100,000 legal abortions occur in the US, compared to
23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births.
On
the other side, abortions performed in unsanitary conditions or by unskilled
practitioners might be lethal. According to a 2009 study, 68,000 women die each
year in the world as a result of botched abortions, usually due to hemorrhage
and infection, while another 5 million suffer long-term health repercussions.
Risks of unwanted pregnancies
Pregnancy
and labor can be exhausting and even fatal in and of themselves. In the United
States in 2020, 861 women died as a result of pregnancy or childbirth-related
causes. Preeclampsia and gestational diabetes affect 6–8% of pregnant women,
and they increase the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes later in life.
According
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), black women in the
United States are approximately three times more likely than white women to die
during pregnancy. If people are forced to give birth, they will be forced to
face these dangers.
Limiting
abortion access might also cause emotional pain. In a study of 956 women
seeking abortions in the United States, those who were denied the procedure had
higher levels of concern, lower life satisfaction, and lower self-esteem in the
weeks after the procedure than those who had one.
The
impact on children born from unwanted pregnancies is another negative result of
limited abortion access. Unwanted pregnancy has been linked to deficiencies in
the future child's cognitive, emotional, and social functions. These kids are
more likely to have unfavorable long-term consequences as adults, such as
increased criminal behavior, dependency on public assistance, and an unhappy
marriage."
What happens next?
The
Supreme Court of the United States has yet to rule on whether or not the
verdict upholding the country's right to abortion should be overturned. The
leaked report was an early draught of a majority decision, with an official
decision coming in June. Abortion is still available for those who need it
right now.
If
Roe v Wade is reversed, abortion will no longer be permitted in the United
States as a whole, but only in certain states. The Supreme Court's latest
decision comes on the heels of the approval of the greatest state-level
abortion restrictions in a single year.
Thirteen
states have developed so-called trigger laws, which would effectively outlaw
all abortions if Roe v Wade is overturned. Another nine states have
anti-abortion laws that were ruled unenforceable when Roe v Wade was decided,
but will almost probably be reinstated if the Supreme Court rules against it. If
Roe v. Wade is reversed, the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights
research organization, estimates that 26 states will likely ban abortion.
As
a result, safe abortion access will be limited by geography and resources,
putting the most vulnerable even more at risk.