Photo by Courtney Walston
THE PERSONAL AND THE POLITICAL:
Abortion Legislation in Worst Year of Bans Since Roe v. Wade
Abortion access in the United States has been a contentious topic of debate for more than a decade, with a consistent history of legislative action to show for it.
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Political context has made abortion access more uncertain in recent years because of Donald Trump’s presidential administration and the subsequent conservative nominations to the Supreme Court.
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On Sept. 1, 2021, a Texas law known as the Texas Heartbeat Act commenced. According to a Sept. 10, 2021, article from The Texas Tribune, this law “bans abortions at about six weeks from the patient’s last menstrual period.” This heavily limits access to abortion procedures, as many women aren’t aware they’re pregnant at that point.
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According to the Texas Tribune article, the law’s foundation is rooted in the actions of citizens by incentivizing them to bring forth civil lawsuits against anyone who performs or aids an abortion by offering a $10,000 cash reward if their suit is successful. The article also notes that this law utilizes private citizens to carry out civil lawsuits, aiming to keep providers from using Roe V. Wade as a legal defense.
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The passing of the Texas Heartbeat Act has been the spark of the most recent attacks on abortion access, but it isn't novel in its goal to restrict or completely ban abortion. People have been going after abortion since the mid-1850s.
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Since the passing of Roe v. Wade in 1973, 1,338 abortion restrictions have been enacted
In 2011, 89 were enacted
And in 2021 alone,
108 were enacted
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Now I'm awake to the world. I was asleep before. That's how we let it happen. When they slaughtered Congress, we didn't wake up. When they blamed terrorists and suspended the constitution, we didn't wake up then, either. Nothing changes instantaneously. In a gradually heating bathtub, you'd be boiled to death before you knew it.
- The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
If Roe v. Wade is overturned, this is what abortion access in the U.S. would look like
As of May 3, 2022, a total of 13 states would make abortion illegal immedietaly, with more to likely follow suit. 17 states and Washington, D.C. have enacted laws that would automatically keep abortion legal if Roe is overturned.
Codified right to abortion
Abortion would be banned
No immediate ban or protection
U.S. Abortion Rates Over the Past Decade
The stats in the line chart below are pulled from CDC Abortion Surveillance reports from 2009-2019, all of which are linked in the soures section at the bottom of this site. 2009-2017 shows a consistent decrease in reported abortions, with the trend ticking back up from 2017-2019.
Photo by Courtney Walston
Percent of U.S. Adults Who Say Abortion Should be Illegal/Legal, by Religion
Percent of U.S. Adults Who Say Abortion Should be Illegal/Legal, by Party Affiliation
The leaked Supreme Court draft of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization is very telling of how the court will decide: to gut the precedent that Roe v. Wade set, leaving the legislation of abortion up to states.
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Abortion is a personal decision to be made between a person with a uterus and their doctor. It's highly personal. If you'd like to read and understand more about this personal choice, read Natalie's story here.
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This decision will have detrimental effects of the women of the U.S.
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We need to do all we can to fight back against this harmful and apathetic assertion of power. Protest, contact your legislators and representatives, make your voice heard.
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And remember, The Handmaid's Tale, though a fictional story, is a cautionary tale. We need to wake up and not boil to death.
