On Friday, June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the bill that made access to an abortion a federal right in the United States. Throughout the US, this decision to overturn the bill has had far-reaching effects on reproductive rights and access for anyone with a uterus.

 According to a Humans Rights Watch article, “Young people and marginalized groups including Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, people living in economic poverty, and sexual and gender minorities are more likely to be harmed [by abortion restrictions]”. 

The death rates due to unsafe abortions have risen, 78,000 deaths worldwide. This is the result of restricting health access, and when safe legal abortions are no longer an option, those looking for one must turn to much more dangerous and invasive methods. 

According to a National Library of Medicine article some of these methods include but are not limited to, “…drinking toxic fluids … inflicting direct injury to the vagina or elsewhere… placing a foreign body such as a twig, coat hanger, or chicken bone into the uterus; or placing inappropriate medication into the vagina or rectum. Unskilled providers also improperly perform dilation and curettage in unhygienic settings, causing uterine perforations and infections. Methods of external injury are also used, such as jumping from the top of stairs or a roof, or inflicting blunt trauma to the abdomen.”

Banning legal abortions means banning the safe alternatives to these methods.

Research also shows according to the American Psychological Association that, “…having an abortion is not linked to mental health problems, but restricting access to safe, legal abortions does cause harm.” Those who are denied abortions actually have worse physical and mental health contrary to popular belief of people who are pro-choice.

Abortion being one of the most controversial topics that is often at the forefront of public debate, this is a sensitive topic for many. However, abortion is something that can be life saving for most, whether that means medically or financially. Connor Vautrin, a senior at DVC who plans on going into gynecology in the future, shared the reasons that he supports the right to abortion. 

“It’s life saving healthcare, people can be kicked out, made homeless, not afford to have a child… and also a lot of people just don’t want to have a child,” he said. 

A part of living in the United States is supposed to mean each individual can make choices and decisions that impact their own lives. Being pro-choice does not mean you are advocating for abortions but advocating for human rights and the rights for people to make decisions about their own bodies.