ROE V WADE WAS OVERTURNED: WHAT NOW? 

Roe V Wade is something we are all familiar with as it was the 1973 Supreme Court case that allowed individuals to obtain abortions legally. However, in June, Roe V. Wade was overturned 50 years after its creation and shocked the nation. 

While many know this happened and know how HUGE a deal this is for women’s health and women’s reproductive rights, many do not know how it actually affects them and the state they live in. So let’s clear some things up. Overturning Roe V Wade did not ban abortions across the nation all at once, instead, it is allowing each state to decide the status of obtaining an abortion in their personally states. The decision lies with the state. Virginia is one of the only states that allow for abortions up to the 3rd trimester. 

U.S. News says “With the high court’s ruling, the decision now returns to the states, which have for months appeared to be gearing up for a new abortion frontier, brashly introducing restrictions and flouting current precedent. Those bans are beginning to take shape” (Haines, Hubbard, & Wolf, 2022). 

Quite a few states have completely banned abortions altogether, including Idaho, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. 

So why should we care if we live in Virginia and we still have the right to abortions? 

As feminists, there should be a common desire for ALL individuals, in EVERY state, to have a right to their body and the decisions they can make for themselves. Being a feminist means caring for each individual even if it does not directly affect you. 

As well as the number of unsafe abortions and the health issues individuals with uteruses will face due to all the restrictions. An article on women’s health stated, “researchers have found that a total abortion ban could increase the number of maternal deaths by 24 percent, with the greatest impact on Black women, at 39 percent” (CAP, 2022). That is a HIGH number of deaths, an absurd number that could be avoided. It does not just affect women’s health but as well as their mental status and economic position. Many cannot afford to care for a child and birth a child due to a lack of health care that will help pay the hospital bills just to birth the baby but as well as then provide for themselves and their new child, and potentially children and other family/friends they already have. 

The media has covered this topic on all fronts. Conservatives shared excitement and portrayed their joy and Liberal media explained their distaste and hurt in the matter, expressing the way this hurts the nation and the progress America has taken for feminist movements and the rights of women. 

What should we do as feminist to help this cause and get our rights back? 

Planet Parenthood has a list of things you can do to help take action against the overturning of reproductive rights. Many groups and businesses like Planet Parenthood emphasize the need to post and the urgency to get that message out that people are not alone and individuals will not stop fighting until their rights are restored.  

TikTok is a wonderful media outlet that allows all sorts of content to be created to spread different kinds of awareness. Many people have been boldly posting about their anger towards the Supreme Court and their ruling and anyone who thinks women (or individuals with uteruses) do not have a say in the way they can treat themselves and their pregnancies. Here is a great example of someone who is very upset with the decision and used a simple platform like TikTok to gain traction and voice their idea. 

Times are changing and laws are being challenged, laws that are hurting basic human rights. Use your voice. Use your platform. Get informed. Get Reproductive Rights back.