The 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade forbade individual states from outlawing or regulating any aspect of abortion during the first trimester, effectively guaranteeing women the right to safe and legal abortions-in theory. In my opinion and the opinions of pro-choicers everywhere, the decision should have decisively ended all political attacks on safe and legal abortions. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Here is everything you need to know about the latest controversies surrounding your right to accessible sexual healthcare.
The Legislation: On Thursday December 3, 2015 the senate passed the Restoring American’s Healthcare Freedom Act- a bill, that if enacted, would critically fragment Obamacare and halt all funding to Planned Parenthood clinics so long as they continue to provide abortion services to women whom were not victims of incest or rape. The passage of this bill in both houses is a symbolic, rather than legislative victory for Republicans. The president will veto the bill, and Republican senators do not have a large enough majority to override a presidential veto.
What does Planned Parenthood Do? : Planned Parenthood provides a variety of health services to both men and women-most of which have nothing to do with abortion. The organization is the largest provider of sex education in the U.S. (for an accurate breakdown of services provided at Planned Parenthood clinics, see the chart below). Anti-choice groups like to believe that defunding Planned Parenthood would reduce the total number of abortions performed, but this isn’t the case. Defunding Planned Parenthood would just place yet another road block in a woman’s access to care. The lack of funding would be especially devastating for people from under-served communities: 79% of the patients who receive care from Planned Parenthood clinics are at or below the federal poverty level. According to the last census, 23.9% of the population in Baltimore falls below the federal poverty level, (compared to just 9.8% for the state of Maryland), so a move to defund clinics may leave people with no access to healthcare.
Anti-Choice Argument: Anti-choice fervor began to increase over the summer when the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) released a series of incredibly graphic and misleading “investigative” videos, claiming to depict kicking fetuses and conversation regarding the sale of fetal tissue to research agencies. Influential politicians have referenced the video’s unsubstantiated claims in televised debates (looking at you, Carly Fiorina) and used them as rallying cries to defund Planned Parenthood. The release of these videos has sparked violence against Planned Parenthood clinics: In early September a clinic was intentionally set on fire, and on November 27, active shooter Robert Dear (who has deemed himself “a warrior for the babies”) attacked a clinic in Colorado Springs.
Pro-Choice Counter-Argument: The videos releases by the Center for Medical Progress were heavily manipulated and illegally obtained. Planned Parenthood does not sell fetal tissue; it donates it- with the consent of the patient. The entity accepts no payment for the tissue outside of funds to offset transportation. Fetal tissue is a vital research tool that has the potential to aid in the discovery of lifesaving medical treatments. When groups claiming to support “all-life” resort to violence and intimidation tactics to initiate change, it is hard to take their claims seriously. Whose life is more important- the established, adult woman seeking medical care, or a cluster of undeveloped and unwanted cells?
Where the 2016 Candidates Stand on Abortion: The majority of the Republican candidates running oppose abortion rights. Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum hold even more conservative beliefs, apposing abortion in all circumstances, with no acceptances for victims of rape, incest, or in cases where the mother’s health is endangered. A single republican, George Pataki, as well as all of the Democratic candidates (Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley and Hillary Clinton) support abortion rights.