Mancilla 1

Adrian Mancilla

Professor Rachel Newlon

April 29, 2020

English 121

Argument Experience

The Pro-Choice Movement

Today, women's health is under attack more than ever since the case of Roe v. Wade first

made abortions legal. In that case,the Supreme Court ruled women had a right to an

abortion under some circumstances under the Due Process clause of the 14th amendment.

The ruling established a woman’s right to a safe abortion as U.S. citizens without

discrimination. In light of the current Trump administration, there are many efforts to

restrict the legality of abortion and make it illegal in almost all circumstances. Trump has

proceeded to appoint Pro-Life judges to the Supreme Court. Additionally, “in September

[2017], Trump himself wrote a letter to supporters promising that if elected, he would

sign a nationwide ban on abortions after 20 weeks, defund Planned Parenthood, make

permanent the Hyde Amendment.” (Pro Quest Central) The fact that the Senate, President

and Supreme Court are all led by a majority of Pro-Life conservatives this has put the

legality of abortions at risk, and many barriers have been put into place. States such as

Texas and Alabama have put the most restrictions in place, making it very hard to have a

legal safe abortion. Although abortions are legal in the U.S. because of Roe v. Wade,

states themselves can put into place many restrictions to make it extremely difficult to
 Mancilla 2

receive an abortion. Under the current administration, access to an abortion is more at a

risk than it has ever been since Roe v. Wade since the majority of our federal government

is controled by Pro-life leaders. Safe and legal abortions can easily become a procedure

of the past. What does this mean exactly? Women's healthcare is in jeopardy, including

resources for sexual health such as birth control and routine exams.

President Donald Trump has prevented and restricted abortions in favor of the Pro-Life

movement. Such acts as trying to make the Hyde Amendment permanent on top of

shifting the Supreme Court to be in favor of the Pro-Life movement this has put access to

legal safe abortions at risk. “ABORTION is one of the most pressing issues in today's

political arena, especially in light of the election of Pres. Donald Trump and the shifting

ideological balance on the Supreme Court” (USA Today). Trump has promised to make

the Hyde Amendment permanent, putting thousands of women’s lives in jeopardy. If the

Hyde Amendment becomes permanent then there could be more amendments and

national laws to overturn Roe v Wade. Because of the climate of the Supreme Court,

they would only need to evaluate a new abortion civil case to possibly overturn the

legality of Roe v.s Wade. It is critical that the U.S residents come together to protect

abortion rights.

Pro-Choice movements need to be fought within our own state governments through our

state legislators. Women have the legal right to abortion access and should not feel

belittled for wanting an abortion. tates such as Georgia have made it even more
 Mancilla 3

challenging for women by adding roadblocks to to get an abortion, “In Georgia, Gov.

Brian Kemp signed a bill in early May prohibiting abortion in cases where a fetal

heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks of pregnancy. Georgia's

maternal death rate in 2018 was 46.2 for every 100,000 live births, the highest rate among

48 states studied.” (Johnson) Women in Georgia have one of the highest maternal death

rates in the country, which is in direct correlation to the fact that women in Georgia e

find it extremely challenging to have an abortion because of all of the roadblocks

Governor Kemp has put into place. Abortion restrictions contribute to this high maternal

death rate.

Fighting for women's rights is needed in this day in age in light of the climate of the

government and the power of the Pro-Life movement. Roe v. Wade and the right to have

an abortion must be protected for both physical and mental well being. In Roe v. Wade,

the right to an abortion are legal in the first trimester, “The 7-2 Roe v. Wade decision

was the first to grant women the right to an abortion based on a trimester framework.

During the first trimester or first three months of pregnancy, the state could not enact any

laws regulating abortion.” (USA Today) Now, the Trump administration and the

Pro-Life movement is attempting to overturn this national lawt. This can be done through

restrictive state laws in more conservative states such as the ones in the deep south and

midwest.
 Mancilla 4

omae have a constitutional right to an abortion, and when there are many barriers to

receiving an abortion,states see negative effects for the infant' and mother, including

fatalities. Pro- Lifestates in the deep south and midwest are seeing these effects.

“Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio--all of which have

enacted tighter restrictions on abortion--similarly rank higher than the national average in

rates of pre-term births, low birth weight, and neonatal deaths after the first 28 days.

(Johnson). These states have higher than average babies with low birth weight, which can

lead the baby to malnourishment. Premature birth can be fatal for not only the mother but

the infant as well. f women in Alabama, Arkansas, cand these other states could easily

have an abortion if necessary, some of these health problems could be avoided. Women

could have the opportunity to fix any pre-existing health conditions in order to carry a

baby to full term so it does not see the effects of low birth weight or possibly death.

Abortion cccess is an important part of a woman's right to privacy in the United States of

America. These rights are in jeopardy and must be protected. - Regardless of

socioeconomic status, women deserve to have the right to have an abortion. “All pledge

to leave no one behind. All are committed to universal health coverage. But women with

an unwanted pregnancy are omitted from these visions, disbarred, invisibilized.” (Horton)

Women should not be discriminated against based on their income, however federal

funding cannot be used to support abortions. Because of the fact that poor women and

women of color are the majority of the people on Medicaid, those who are likely to be in

the most need do not have the same access as wealthier women who might be able to pay
 Mancilla 5

for an abortion. . Women should not being discriminated against, “We must all step up

the fight to reduce the mostly preventable 2.6 million stillbirths that occur every year.

Women want these children. They and their families suffer terribly and often undisclosed

anguish at the loss of their child. (Horton). If abortion was nationally easily accessible

and women did not have to jump through hurdles we could prevent women from the 2.6

million babies who are stillborn. This would save heartache not to mention this would

benefit the mother's mental well being. If she never experienced stillbirth she would not

be left with the trauma of a losing a child. Women need abortion access.

Women of color are disproportionately affected by lack of access to health care because

they often cannot afford private health insurance and are dependent on federal programs

like Medicaid. Since federal dollars can not be used for abortions then people who are on

Medicaid can not afford abortions, “SGM [Sexual and Gender Minority] patients of

color frequently have worse health outcomes than either white SGM or heterosexual

patients of color.” (Tan, Baig, and Chin) This is because people of color have been a

minority since the U.S. was founded and they continuously have to fight for their own

rights. Women's rights are being violated because they are too poor to afford private

health insurance, and they have limited access to safe and legal abortions through

Medicaid.

The Trump administration is attempting to end abortion access for all women in violation

of the 14th Amendment and a woman’s right to privacys. “My Body My Choice, as

thousands of women have said, is true. Women benefit from having a choice and access
 Mancilla 6

to safe, legal abortions both mentally and physically. In this day and age, we need to

fight for women to have access to abortions, which is a vital part of women’s healthcare.