On our last episode, Dr. Alicia Christy talked about the difference between reproduction rights and reproductive justice. As usual, this is our post to give readers additional information and there’s a lot to talk about. We offer: Resources for Reproductive Justice.
What exactly happened to take us here
Everyone anticipated the Supreme Court would use its new conservative majority to over rule a case called Roe v. Wade. Roe recognizes a woman’s right right to terminate a pregnancy under certain time limits. Christian conservatives did not agree with the Roe decision and actively worked to get it overturned. This year the US Supreme Court took its opportunity to reverse Roe in a case known as Dobbs. Some states passed “trigger” bills banning abortion. They hoped if Roe was ever overturned, it would “trigger” or allow their restrictive laws to take effect. And that’s exactly what happened in many places. Other states quickly passed legislation banning abortion, including some with no exception for rape or incest victims who become pregnant because of their assaults.
Consequences of new restrictive legislation
Many legislators who sponsored these bills are men with no medical training. As a result, they don’t know how a woman’s body works either. For example, one Senator famously stated that a woman who is raped can’t get pregnant. That theory was repeated in a congressional race this year! They also don’t understand the medical emergencies a woman can experience during pregnancy. Many women’s lives are being endangered by these new bills. In some states, prosecutors want to indict women who seek medical services. In other states, the police are monitoring the behavior of pregnant women and and arresting them if the police think the fetus is at risk. Even women who travel from states without restrictions to vacation in states with restrictions are at risk. Doctors are refusing to treat them if they have a medical emergency.
What can be done?
While this is a dark turn for protection of women’s rights, women are resisting state imposed restrictions on their rights. In Kansas people successfully voted to continue protection for reproductive choice in their state constitution. The voters in Michigan were also successful in forcing the state to book an abortion referendum on the ballot. Doctors are now organizing, educating and advocating against these legislative matters. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has a great page with resources for both doctors and patients.
Why is this issue important for communities of color?
As we know, Black women and other women of color, suffer higher maternal mortality rates. Many factors contribute to the higher rate, but lack of access to medical care is definitely a factor. Women of color have less access to quality, competent medical care. Due to the lack of access, people predict that Black women in particular, will bear the brunt of these new restrictive laws. Therefore, the new laws will make the health situation even worse for Black women. Additionally, these laws may also impact a Black women’s access to birth control and infertility services. In other words, the issue isn’t simply one of choosing to terminate a pregnancy. At the end of the day, women and their doctors are the only ones that can make a proper health decisions. Legislators have no business in the examining room!
If you want to help support women’s choices
There are many organizations fighting to preserve women’s access to reproductive justice. You don’t have to be a woman to be concerned or to help. This is an issue for our whole community. You can help by talking to family and friends to make sure you are knowledgeable about all of the issues. We’ll list some organizations you can contact if you want to do more.