Abortion rights have been under extreme pressure ever since President Donald Trump’s judicial appointments and red states passing trigger laws against the pro-choice movement. Today, The conservative majority Supreme Court has ultimately struck down the landmark case Roe v Wade.
The leaked draft overturning Roe v. Wade by Justice Samuel Alito in Politico caused a significant outcry. In an instant, the nation dropped what they were doing to take in what happened. What many women and anyone within the pro-choice movement feared back in 2016 became a reality as federal protection of abortion rights was stripped.
The decision is not finalized just yet. The people are organizing. Rallies, emails, and Tweets are just a few ways people are urging lawmakers to codify abortion rights by nixing the filibuster. It feels like now or never to save abortion rights.
On the opposite side of pro-choice, however, lawmakers who can’t give birth in conservative states are swiftly passing “Trigger laws” to oppress those who can. Trigger laws are in place for when Roe V. Wade does get overturned, finalizing their state ban on abortion. Many red states have passed trigger laws so far, making the fight for federally protected abortion a dire one.
The fight for abortion rights is pressing after the Roe v Wade leak. However, many living in the U.S still seem apathetic toward the issue. In the case of privilege, many of those, especially men, don’t care about the social issues until it immediately affects them.
The end of safe and protected abortion impacts almost everything in the U.S. Beyond the apparent consideration for fundamental human rights; everyone should care about abortion rights one way or the other.
How do abortion rights impact the economy?
Historically anti-abortion laws have been used against low-income women. When you break down the cost of childbirth, it becomes more apparent that anti-abortion laws are a form of class warfare.
Women make up more than half of the U.S workforce, and many have credited access to abortion. Access to safe abortion keeps many women from falling into poverty. The cost of birth starts not too long before birth.
The U.S does not require paid maternity leave, meaning there are still those who leave the workforce for maternal responsibility without financial income throughout the time the expecting parent is responsible for paying for prenatal care. Then comes the cost of delivery and raising the child.
Let’s put it into numbers.
The average cost of prenatal care is about $2,000 without insurance.
The average cost of vaginal delivery is between $5,000 and $11,000. That number increases for C-sections to about $7,500 to $14,500. Those are the cost of smooth childbirth, but not everyone who gives birth has a smooth beginning. Complications can double the cost of delivery.
Now the average cost of raising a child is $233,620.
| Prenatal Care | $2,000 |
| Vaginal Delivery | $5,000 – $11,000 |
| C-Section | $7,500 – $14,500 |
| Cost of a child | $233,620 |
The U.S is a country without universal healthcare, maternity care, financial assistance, and an already recession crisis. Abortion rights are also a business problem preventing many who can give birth away from the labor force.
Who needs abortion rights?
Abortion restriction is a form of white supremacy that directly impact people of color. According to Laurie Bertram Roberts, the executive director of the Yellowhammer fund in Alabama said, “women of color in states with restrictive abortion laws have limited access to health care.”
Given how the cost of a child is high, this becomes another method to oppress black families financially.
White supremacy thrives off the concept that the south is solely uneducated white people. The reality is conservative states where the trigger laws are written also hold a high population of people of color. Communities of color suffer greater from income inequality without abortion rights.
Mississippi, one of the trigger law states, is also one of the poorest states due to income and educational inequality. Those who are not impacted by racial or maternal issues are still the ones writing laws to control them affecting those who are pro-choice.
Sexual Education in trigger law states
Conservative states already setting themselves up to ban abortion rights have no sex ed requirement. Those states also have the highest rate of unwanted pregnancies.
Many of the trigger laws drafted that restrict abortions are written by men in power who have absolutely no knowledge of sexual reproduction. Many of these laws are written without considering the person who is giving birth.
Sex ed is a significant part of keeping STD rates low and teaching consent. Many STDs can transfer to children during pregnancy and birth. By restricting access to abortion, the U.S is in danger of another epidemic.
Fighting for abortion rights together
Regardless of whether you can give birth or not, the issue of abortion rights is something you should back. For decades white men in power have used their ability to control other bodies. Fighting for abortion rights goes hand in hand with fighting against white supremacy and class inequality. Pro-choice and fighting for everyone’s rights is the most American thing to do after Roe v Wade gets overturned.