Women’s Reproductive rights in the US.
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Women’s Reproductive rights have always been the topic of debates. Sexual rights of an individual are the most important and sensitive human rights. Reproductive rights include the right to make free and informed decisions about human body and sexuality. Women’s Reproductive rights are not only limited to abortion rights. These rights include the right to express sexuality, individual sexuality and reproductive decisions, and freedom of reproductive health information, education and services. By this means, women should have full freedom to gain knowledge about her sexual health. Being a human, women should not be required to fight for medical assistance because of her sexual orientation. Females should be provided with the right to gain treatment and avoid punishment.
While we claim to live in a modern world, women still struggle to gain freedom and equality across the united states. They are facing following problems: forced contraception, sexual suppression, poorly managed pregnancy and birth, forced abortion, termination of parental rights, forced marriage and other issues. The struggle for equal sexual rights vary from state to state. In order to gain these rights, women need to know what rights are available to them and how to expand those rights. Women need to have access to information and medical services. They need to have access to the current state policies, religious restrictions and economic restrictions. For example, if women do not gain information about abortion counseling, they will be unable to make sensible decision in the future. Women would not know what options she has available to make the right decision for her life and body.
Alteration in the role of women started in 1850’s. Roe v. Wade, perhaps the most signifying fight with the Constitution, occurred 40 years ago. This case triggered women’s fight for equal rights in the society. Society created differences between men and women more (Culp-Ressler 1).
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noticeable, by providing more privileges to male society. Men were favored in the states which increased the gap between men and women. Women were not allowed to gain basic rights such as education, economic right and personal rights. In this paper, we will examine the history of Women’s reproductive rights between 2011 and 2015.
Let’s begin by examining the movements or issues presented in the year 2011. During this year, most important and heated state level abortion debate of the year took place in Mississippi. This debate was based on the idea od acknowledging a human embryo as a person from the moment of fertilization. This definition of abortion would ban all abortions and hormonal contraceptive (Center for Reproductive Rights 1). States like North Dakota and North Carolina brought challenges to laws requiring women to view ultrasound images and hear biased opinions to dissuade women from having an abortion. Lawmakers introduced the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act. Which required, minor to obtain parental notification before starting the process of abortion. I believe this law can be beneficial and damaging to the young women in our country. While some individuals have faith in this act, they think this act will result in reduced risky sexual behaviors among teenagers. While others believe this law can put minor’s life in danger and it can put health care providers, friends, and family at risk of criminal prosecution. For example, we expect the family members to support their daughters in their life decisions. However, due to different circumstances every family does not support daughters in terminating their pregnancy. If that is the case, CIANA would create more complications for the teenage girl. Examining this possibility, North Dakota legislatures fought against a law that banned physicians from providing medication abortion to those in need.
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The fight against the law making bodies continued in the year 2012. During this year, reports established at least 19 states enacted anti-choice laws. These states formed over forty destructive laws on abortion and reproductive health of women. As a women and a human being, our country should provide safe reproductive health care to those in need. However, due to the political unsympathetic debates this right has been suppressed. Women need to demand full protection for their physical and mental bodies. In 2012, legislative started to eliminate women’s right to insurance coverage for abortion. Also, the government started to ban telemedicine for medication abortion. These bans created more difficulties for women to access health care and constitutional rights given to them by the government itself. Legislatures expanded the types of companies that can refuse to provide abortion services. Some of these bans were so destructive, that lawsuits were filed immediately against these laws. For example, Arizona’s unconstitutional ban on abortion at 20 weeks and Mississippi’s effort to shut down the state’s last abortion clinic created disturbance among individuals. Only individual who can make the decision of bringing a life into this world is the women itself. So why do we take that right or control away from her? Ban on abortion at 20 weeks started another conflict in the race for reproductive freedom (NARAL Pro Choice America Foundation 4). Let us examine this situation, imagine women terminating a much wanted pregnancy at 22 weeks, when she realized her baby was found to have severe abnormalities.
Do you still think the decision of an abortion is a mistake in this situation? The doctors informed the mother, if your child survived he or she will be facing constant pain through their life span. The mother decided to obtain an abortion (Center for Reproductive Rights 1). Yet, the laws of our country dictate that abortion is an inhumane act and cannot be permitted under the state laws. Decision making
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bodies do not analyze situations through every view point. While constructing the laws, they are arrogant to evaluate their decision for the sake of society.
As women continued to fight for their freedom. The reproductive freedom of women was attacked once again in 2013. These fights took place in Ohio, North Carolina, and Texas. After the ban on abortion after 20 weeks, states lawmakers passed bills that closed clinics. Lawmakers passed these restrictions under cover of darkness. For instance, in Ohio they banned abortion by introducing a new budget for the state. In Texas, they were not able to pass the bill which resulted in creating a new bill with abortion restrictions embedded in them. During this battle, women continued to fight for their rights provided by the constitution. The state of California supported women and provided access of abortion. The state authorized midwives and nurse practitioners to carry out early abortion. This allowed women to receive medical care from someone they are comfortable with. Also, California passed clinic-violence laws. According to this law, personnel’s in the clinics are trained to counter clinic violence incidents at medical centers.
In 2014, the pro-choice community introduced new strategies and ideas. These communities support legislation that will reduce the restrictions on abortions and increase health care opportunities for pregnant women and their loved ones. Lawmakers like the House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi supported this movement of reform. Nancy Pelosi said “we want women to know that there’s a path, there’s a fight being made on these subjects.” By this we can view, the changes taking places in the Law making bodies and among the citizens of the states. We know America had enough, now actions are being taken to counter attack the
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restrictions placed on abortions. Organizations like NARL Pro-choice were being created to carry out the fight for equal reproductive rights.
While women are being awaked of their right through organizations and pro-choice supporters, law making bodies are still controlling their reproductive freedoms. In the year 2015, law making bodies introduced 57 restrictions on abortions. Politicians use TRAP laws to target regulation of abortion providers. These TRAP laws require clinics to meet same building, equipment and staffing standards as surgical center. This is an unnecessary and costly restriction put in place to limit abortions. TRAP laws have resulted in closing of many clinics. This increased the complications pregnant females face. These laws devastate females on mental and physical level. Because of the restrictions placed by the political system, women try to end their pregnancy on their own. 100,000 to 240,000 women ages 18 to 49 have attempted to end their pregnancy themselves. These numbers are high to due to the less health services offered to pregnant women in the United States. Another form of restriction is religious involvement in reproductive rights. Some religions oppose abortion because they believe their religion does not give the permission to perform such acts. Yet again, people do not realize that every individual have their own freedom of religion.
Analyzing the issue of women’s reproductive rights among the years, clarify that we still need to do much of the work. The battle for equal reproductive rights has not ended yet. A woman is a human being with a mind of her own and body of her own. As an individual, we should value her irreplaceable contribution to the society and not cage our women with the use of law making bodies.
http://www.reproductiverights.org/feature/2011-a-look-back
http://ic.galegroup.com.libproxy.csun.edu/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&display-query=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&limiter=&u=csunorthridge&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010066251
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http://www.reproductiverights.org/press-room/more-than-40-new-state-laws-passed-in-2012-restricting-womens-reproductive-rights-and-hea
http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/download-files/2014-who-decides.pdf
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http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/01/03/3116221/turning-point-repro-rights-offense/
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Works Cited
Centre for Reproductive Rights. “2011: A Look Back”. 2011. Web. 5 April. 2016. (http://www.reproductiverights.org/feature/2011-a-look-back)
Center for Reproductive Rights. More than 40 New State Laws Passed in 2012 Restricting Women’s Reproductive Rights and Care. 2012. Web. 5 April. 2016. (http://www.reproductiverights.org/press-room/more-than-40-new-state-laws-passed-in- 2012-restricting-womens-reproductive-rights-and-hea)
Culp-Resser, Tara. “Why 2014 could be a Huge Turning Point for Reproductive Rights. Think Progress. 3 Jan. 2014. Web. 5 April. 2016 (http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/01/03/3116221/turning-point-repro-rights-offense/)
NARAL Pro Choice America Foundation. Who Decides? The Status of Women’s Reproductive Rights in the United States. 2014. Web. 5 April. 2016. (http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/download-files/2014-who-decides.pdf).
