Emily Achtermann

Laurie Giuliani

RHE 306

8 December 2020

Venue: I would publish my essay in the Wall Street Journal. My audience would be young adults that

have political views that are right-leaning and believe that abortion should once again be illegal. In

my opinion, these people are the future and therefore are the people I think should be targeted

when trying to persuade on this topic.

Roe v. Wade Should Remain the Law

As I articulate my thoughts on abortion into a persuasive opinion I am struck by the

enormity of the task. Almost every reader has opinions so firmly formed that they are unlikely to be

changed by a teenage girl writing her first essay on a subject that others have been arguing over for

generations. Still, I write this with the hope of reaching other young women coming into this arena

for the first time and to try to find common ground with those with differing opinions.

While researching the topic I have gained deep gratitude for those that have made it possible

for me to have choices over my body. I have also gained a deeper understanding of those that seek

to protect the unborn. As a young woman, I know that the choices I make about my body and

wellbeing now can affect me for the rest of my life. I am fortunate that I live in a place and time

where the rights of women to make choices about their bodies, including access to abortion services,

are protected by the law. I know that not everyone agrees with the current law and actively seeks to
change it. The decision to have or not have an abortion has both positive and negative

consequences. The consequences can be financial, physical, and emotional.

Abortion has been around for hundreds of years and was legal in the United States until the

1880s when “quickening” became widely understood (Ravitz, par. 11). Dictionary.com’s definition of

quickening is,” The initial signs of fetal life felt by the mother as a result of fetal movement”

(“Quickening”). In fact, no one, not even Catholics, believed that fetuses were alive in the early

stages of pregnancy; that idea only emerged after quickening was recognized as a stage of pregnancy

(Ravitz, par. 12). Therapeutic abortions, abortions to save a woman’s life during pregnancy, were

condemned by the Catholic Church in 1869 (Ravitz, par. 13). Contrary to popular belief, abortion

was not made illegal because of religious conservatives. Abortions became criminalized in the United

States in 1880 because of pressure from the American Medical Association, an organization that

now strongly advocates for abortion access. (Ravitz, par. 14-15). However, making abortions illegal

didn’t stop people from receiving them. In fact, during the Great Depression, abortion rates

increased (Ravitz, par. 26-27). In the 1960s, the women's liberation movement started taking hold,

*the discussion of women's reproductive rights was back on the table (Ravitz, par. 30). Many women

tried to perform abortions on themselves with harmful consequences (Ravitz, par. 31). Pastors and

Rabbis began helping women find places for safe illegal abortions because they were so concerned

(Ravitz, par. 32). In 1969, a group called “Jane” offered women safe and affordable abortion services

(Ravitz, par. 33). After the measles outbreak in 1964 posed threats to unborn children, the

conversation about abortion was once again opened up (Ravitz, par. 34). In 1973, the Supreme

Court case of Roe v. Wade became the law, making abortion legal in the United States to this day

(Planned Parenthood, par. 1). Legal or illegal, women will likely continue to seek abortions, and

keeping abortions legal means the procedure can be offered in a safe environment.
 From the moment Roe v. Wade's decision was announced, people have argued about

whether it was the right decision. Most recently, the debate has been front and center due to the

2020 election cycle, particularly the Presidential race. Donald Trump, the candidate for the

Republican Party, is well-known for being pro-life. However, he was previously pro-choice and paid

for multiple abortions. When he started his Presidential run, his political support base wanted him to

be pro-life, so he switched. Joe Biden, the candidate for the Democratic Party, agrees with legal

abortion services. Before Joe Biden became the President-Elect, many women worried about losing

significant reproductive health care rights beyond abortion. With Biden now the President-Elect,

those rights are more secure. Prior to the election, President Trump selected the new Justice of the

Supreme Court, Amy Barrett. Barrett has been known in previous cases to be strongly pro-life. Even

though Trump lost, Barrett could still create some challenges when there are Supreme Court

decisions regarding access to abortion and reproductive services in the United States.

Abortion has the potential to harm someone both physically and mentally. Like many mental

and physical health issues, the outcome depends on the person and their past. A study done by the

University of California found that most women found relief after terminating a pregnancy

(Culp-Ressler, par. 1). There were other emotions that most of them expressed, such as anger,

sadness, regret, happiness, and guilt (Culp-Ressler, par. 2). The range of emotions that a woman can

experience is unique to her and her body as this study illustrates. There is no definitive evidence that

abortion will cause mental harm to a woman, rather, only one of many side effects, as is similar to

other medical procedures.

I don’t completely disagree with the argument that life begins at conception. While I tend to

lean towards life beginning when the baby is viable outside of the womb, there are scientific studies

that offer contrary evidence. Steve Jacobs, a writer for The Quillette, asked over five thousand

biologists when life began and 96% of them said that life begins at fertilization (Jacobs, par. 2). In an
interview with Scott Gilbert, a biology professor, Gilbert said “I really can't tell you when

personhood begins, but I can say with absolute certainty that there's no consensus among scientists.

Some scientists will say it begins at fertilization. Some scientists will say it's at implantation, where

you get pregnant. Other scientists will say it's day 14… Some scientists will say it's at week 24 to 28”

(Gilbert, par. 3). I agree that there is no definite answer to when life begins and even current science

doesn’t provide a definitive answer. I concede that life could start at fertilization and thus,

understand why this notion is used as an argument to support making abortions illegal.

Having an abortion could potentially save a women’s life and if denied, more than one life

could be lost. Margaret Wurth, a senior researcher with the Children’s Rights Division of Human

Rights Watch, tells the personal stories of women living in areas where abortion is illegal. The first

story she tells is about Rosaura Almonte Hernández who lived in the Dominican Republic. Rosaura

was diagnosed with leukemia, but because she was pregnant at the time, she was denied

chemotherapy. However, she wasn’t allowed to terminate the pregnancy either because abortion was

illegal in the Dominican Republic. She ended up passing away without the proper treatment (Wurth,

par. 3). Vice.com reported that turning a woman down for an abortion was more psychologically

damaging than receiving an abortion. In the Turnaway Study done in San Francisco, Kimberly

Lawson wrote, “10 percent of women who gave birth after being denied an abortion said they were

diagnosed with gestational high blood pressure; and most (10 of 16) developed the condition during

the pregnancy they had wanted to terminate” (Lawson, par. 11) Other conditions such as headaches

and joint pain were also associated with an unwanted pregnancy (Lawson, par. 12). While being

denied an abortion doesn’t always lead to death, it can create a difficult mindset for mothers. The

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 700 women die each year due to delivery

conflicts (CDC, par. 1) Not only is being denied an abortion damaging but potentially deadly.
 Currently, in the United States, there are over 400,000 kids in foster care (AdoptUsKids, par.

1). That is 400,000 kids without families, 400,000 kids without parents that love and support them

through everything. According to NCHS, the rate of adoptable babies dropped from 9% in 1973 to

1% between 1996 and 2002 (NCHS, par. 1). Annie Reneau wrote an article about Olivia Page, a

woman who grew up in the foster care system. Page shared on Facebook that “20% of teens who

age out of foster care become instantly homeless, with no support system in place. There is less than

a 3% chance that any of these kids will obtain any sort of degree. 25% suffer from PTSD. 1 out of

every 2 kids will develop substance abuse problems. Adopted children make up only 2% of children

under 18.” (Reneau, par. 6). Page then shared her own story of living in foster care for 12 years. She

claims she never got too comfortable because she knew eventually she would be forced to move

(Reneau, par. 8). Page also confesses that she was sexually abused in two separate households and

was even hospitalized when she was 11 ( Reneau, par. 9-10). Making abortion illegal will increase the

number of children entering the already overburdened foster care system.

Criminalizing abortion will put more women’s lives at risk as they will seek abortions through

whatever means they can. Another woman’s story Margaret Wurth reported was a woman who is in

jail because of a miscarriage in Honduras. She went to the doctor because of immense pain and the

doctors, thinking she had attempted an abortion, called the police. She didn’t even know she was

pregnant (Wurth, par. 5). In my opinion, one of the most heartbreaking stories, and one I think is

the most likely to happen if abortion is banned in the United States is about Ingriane Barbosa

Carvalho, a mother of three in Brazil. She died after receiving a botched abortion by a back-alley

provider (Wurth, par. 9). To the outside eye, it seems crazy that these stories are real, but to the

women living with them, it is reality, and it could be to women in the United States as well if

abortion is criminalized. Olga Khazan, a writer for the Atlantic states, “In parts of the world where

abortion is illegal, botched abortions still cause about 8 to 11 percent of all maternal deaths, or about
30,000 each year.” (Khazan, par. 4). Criminalizing abortions in the United States could cause this

number to rise. In a personal email correspondence, Chealsea Bacci, a writer for The Eastern Echo

stated, “ I don't think it should even be a controversy, women, and people with uteruses have a right

to their own body and to decide whether or not they want to be pregnant. Outlawing abortions will

not get rid of them, it will get rid of safe abortions.” (Bacci, email correspondence). Making abortion

illegal will not prevent women from receiving them, but will eliminate safe options putting more

people at risk, including the babies so many people are trying to save.

The debate over pro-life vs. pro-choice is one of the most contentious in today’s society.

Through my research and writing on this topic, I have become more understanding of some of the

pro-life arguments and deeply held beliefs. However, when it comes to women’s rights to their

bodies, in my eyes, the issue is clear: whether or not a woman terminates a pregnancy is no one's

business except for her own and our country’s laws should continue to support that right. I would

encourage any young woman to carefully weigh the consequences of losing their right to make

decisions about their own reproductive rights and health - making their voices heard through

advocacy and voting power.

Works Cited

“About the Children.” AdoptUSKids,

www.adoptuskids.org/meet-the-children/children-in-foster-care/about-the-children.

Culp-Ressler, Tara. “STUDY: Even When Abortion Inspires Mixed Emotions, Women

Say It Was The Right Decision For Them.” ThinkProgress, 6 Aug. 2013,
thinkprogress.org/study-even-when-abortion-inspires-mixed-emotions-women-say-it-was-th
e-right-decision-for-them-cfca0bad94b9/.

Jacobs, written by Steve, and Published by Quillette Magazine. “I Asked Thousands of

Biologists When Life Begins. The Answer Wasn't Popular.” Quillette, 1 Nov. 2019,
quillette.com/2019/10/16/i-asked-thousands-of-biologists-when-life-begins-the-answer-was
nt-popular/.

Khazan, Olga. “When Abortion Is Illegal, Women Rarely Die. But They Still Suffer.” The Atlantic,

Atlantic Media Company, 11 Oct. 2018,

www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/10/how-many-women-die-illegal-abortions/572
638/.

Lawson, Kimberly. “'Turnaway Study' Shows People Are Already Dying From Being Denied

Abortions.” 'Turnaway Study' Shows, 14 June 2019,

www.vice.com/en/article/d3nk7q/turnaway-study-shows-people-are-already-dying-from-bei
ng-denied-abortions.

Mancini, Jeanne. “What About Equal Rights for Unborn Women?” March for Life, 26 Oct. 2016,

marchforlife.org/equal-rights-unborn-women/.
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), "Who Adopts? Characteristics of Women and Men Who Have Adopted Children,"
NCHS Data Brief, dc.gov, Jan. 2009

Parenthood, Planned. “Roe v. Wade: The Constitutional Right to Access Safe, Legal

Abortion.” Planned Parenthood Action Fund,

www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/abortion/roe-v-wade.

“Pregnancy-Related Deaths.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, 26 Feb. 2019,

www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pregnancy-relatedmortality.htm.

“Quickening.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com,

www.dictionary.com/browse/quickening.

Ravitz, Jessica. “The Surprising History of Abortion in the U.S.” CNN, Cable News Network,

27 June 2016,
www.cnn.com/2016/06/23/health/abortion-history-in-united-states/index.html.

“What Life Is Like When Abortion Is Banned.” Human Rights Watch, 28 Oct. 2020,

www.hrw.org/news/2019/06/10/what-life-when-abortion-banned.

“When Does Personhood Begin?” News & Events :: Swarthmore College, 26 Sept. 2018,

www.swarthmore.edu/news-events/when-does-personhood-begin
Reneau, Annie. “A Woman Who Grew up in Foster Care Explains Why the 'Adoption Not

Abortion' Argument Doesn't Fly.” Upworthy, Upworthy, 23 July 2019,

www.upworthy.com/a-woman-who-grew-up-in-foster-care-explains-why-the-adoption-not-a
bortion-argument-doesn-t-fly.