Hey there! Today I want to talk about something important that affects millions of Americans – abortion healthcare and why access to it saves lives.
What Exactly is Healthcare?
Healthcare includes all the services that help us stay healthy or recover when we’re sick. This covers everything from routine check-ups to emergency surgeries – whatever we need to protect our physical and mental wellbeing.
Abortion is Essential Healthcare
Abortion is a normal part of healthcare that approximately 1 in 4 women in America will need at some point in their lives. There are many valid reasons why someone might need abortion care:
- Medical emergencies where the pregnant person’s life is at risk
- Pregnancies that aren’t developing correctly or can’t survive
- Ectopic pregnancies (when a pregnancy grows outside the uterus)
- Young girls whose bodies aren’t developed enough for safe pregnancy
- Survivors of rape, incest, or other forms of sexual abuse
- People who are already raising children and can’t support another
- Anyone who knows they aren’t ready or able to parent
Medical professionals and organizations worldwide recognize abortion as necessary healthcare. When performed by medical professionals, abortion is extremely safe.
The Human Cost of Abortion Bans
When abortion care isn’t available, real people suffer real consequences. Forcing someone to remain pregnant against their will is deeply harmful. It takes away their basic right to control what happens to their own body.
Understanding the Database of Women Affected by Abortion Bans
The Database of Women Who Have Died or Been Damaged From Abortion Bans tracks cases where people have suffered serious harm or died because they couldn’t access abortion care when they needed it.
This isn’t just about numbers – these are real people with families, dreams, and lives that were cut short or forever changed because they couldn’t get healthcare they needed.
The database pictured below helps us understand what happens when abortion bans interfere with medical decisions that should be made between a person and their doctor.
Why This Matters to All of Us
Everyone deserves the right to make their own healthcare decisions. When abortion is restricted, it’s often those with the fewest resources who suffer most – people without money to travel, people in rural areas, people without access to childcare, people working multiple jobs, and people without health insurance.
Abortion bans don’t stop abortions from happening – they just make them more dangerous. Before abortion was legal throughout the US, thousands died from unsafe procedures.
The Bottom Line
Abortion is healthcare. Healthcare is a human right. Forcing someone to continue a pregnancy against their will is inhumane. We all deserve the freedom to make our own decisions about our bodies and lives.
First Half of Resources- Harder to read
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG): Medical experts who confirm abortion is essential healthcare – www.acog.org
- World Health Organization (WHO): Global health authority with evidence-based information on safe abortion – www.who.int
- Guttmacher Institute: Research organization providing data and analysis on reproductive health – www.guttmacher.org
- National Library of Medicine/PubMed: Access to peer-reviewed medical research about abortion care – www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
Second Half of Resources – Easier to read
- Planned Parenthood: Simple explanations about reproductive healthcare with a “Learn” section using straightforward language – www.plannedparenthood.org
- Scarleteen: Known for making health information accessible to everyone, with clear articles about reproductive choices – www.scarleteen.com
- Bedsider: User-friendly website with straightforward information about birth control and reproductive health – www.bedsider.org
- Advocates for Youth: Provides educational materials about reproductive health in clear, uncomplicated language – www.advocatesforyouth.org
These resources use simpler words and shorter sentences to explain the same important information, making it accessible to readers at various reading levels.
Be wary of sources that prioritize religious perspectives; while they might do an excellent job of presenting the perspective of religious leaders, they rarely reflect a true understanding of how human bodies work, how the medical community uses abortion, and how real women’s lives are affected by politicizing healthcare.
The person who cares most about the safety and wellness of your body is you.
You deserve the opportunity to execute your own best judgment in all decisions regarding your personal earthly vessel; indeed it’s your responsibility to make the most of the one life you’ve been given.
No human is authorized to “play god” by interfering with births or deaths. DEFINITELY no institution should be making those decisions either.