Pro-choice vs Pro-life? The conversation surrounding reproductive health has been trampled by the debate between two movements. It has been obscured by debates of when life begins. It has been convoluted with religious beliefs, political beliefs, and complex obscurities that the people have failed to realize the real focus of this discussion: women and their reproductive freedom. With the overturning of Roe vs Wade, the discussion of reproductive rights and women’s rights have become more urgent than ever. This is not a matter of women’s rights but human rights. Due to the constitutional right to an abortion granted by Roe vs Wade, women have had the law the federal government enabling the freedom to reproductive care but stripping this basic human right to healthcare puts them in more dangerous situations than ever [2]. The advent of this new decision has opened new laws that will soon ban abortion access, birth control and other means of contraceptives. This is a mean of control, a means of controlling women, controlling their bodies, and controlling their autonomy.
The horrific news of a 10-year-old who was raped by a relative, denied an abortion in the state of Ohio and had to cross state border to get the treatment she needed disgusts me to the core [1]. CEO and president of the American United for Life claimed that ending a pregnancy is not an abortion when it involves a rape victim. Rape, incest, sexual assault seems to the most reasonable and pressing situations in which women should be able to get an abortion and even these decisions must be made by the few oligarchies that run our government [1]. To what extent do state laws have to get for a 10-year-old to be denied an abortion? Laws are meant to instill order and protect the people, but these laws endanger our children more than ever. This is not a matter of pro-choice vs pro-life. This is not a matter of when should someone get an abortion. This is a matter of reproductive justice.
Reproductive justice is the human right to bodily autonomy, make decisions about one’s sexuality, gender, and reproduction. Unfortunately, women, girls, and children are denied this basic right [3]. Throughout this discussion of whether a 10-year-old should cross states to get an abortion, people have been referring to this girl as a rape victim, but really, she is a child. She is a child who does not know the consequences of a pregnancy, what it means to be a mother, how to raise a child nor could she fully grasp the fact of what had happened to her or what is currently happening to her and yet she was forced to carry a fetus. This is epitome of reproductive injustice. Reproductive injustice is dismantling autonomy and the choice that people deserve to have. And this is the most unrighteous and immoral act that anyone can do. As a society, we must uphold our morality and denying the human right to adequate healthcare is the start of something disastrous.
It is unsurprising to fight for something that is basic right, but in times like these, we must band together, protest, advocate and inspire others. The debate of pro-choice and pro-life the debate of pro-choice and pro-life will continue but, in the midst of this divide are the people who we should be fighting for: women, reproductive justice and trusting that they can make the best decisions for their bodies.
References
[1] Flaherty, A. (2022, July 16). Case of 10-year-old rape victim challenges anti-abortion rights movement. Retrieved July 31, 2022, from https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/case-10-year-rape-victim-challenges-anti-abortion/story?id=86814201
[2] Wong, S. (2022, July 14). Republicans shocked a 10-year-old can get pregnant after Ohio rape victim abortion story proves true. Retrieved July 31, 2022, from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/republicans-express-shock-10-year-old-can-get-pregnant-doubting-ohio-r-rcna38284
[3] Home. (n.d.). Retrieved July 31, 2022, from https://blackrj.org/our-issues/reproductive-justice/