In the wake of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the recent decision that Planned Parenthood will cease to receive federal funding, it is an understatement to say that abortion and the laws surrounding it have been a hot topic. From the standpoint of a pro-life person, many of the arguments include wanting to make abortion illegal and stop the procedure from happening altogether.

Getting rid of the need for medical abortions would be a situation most people could agree on. Although this conclusion to the forty plus year debate is far from sight, there are certain actions that can be taken that could help stop abortion once and for all.

Here is how we can stop abortion:

• Allow men and women to have access to affordable, effective contraceptives.
• Make childcare more affordable and accessible for women everywhere.
• Promote a culture that does not tolerate rape or sexual assault in any way.
• Upheave and fix the current adoption and foster care industry.
• Speak to kids at a young age about the importance of safe sex and cultivate an environment that does not shame young people for having sex.
• Getting rid of abstinence-only sex education.
• Giving women access to life-saving healthcare.

And the list goes on. Many of these things, if they were followed through with, could have monumental effects on the abortion rates in the United States. Many of the reasons women seek out abortions are because of these reasons. Although these ways would be the best for putting an end to abortion in the country, there are millions of Americans who fail to see or acknowledge this.

Contrastingly, here are a few ways that are ineffective in stopping abortions:

• Shaming women for getting abortions.
• Telling women they are murdering their babies for getting abortions.
• Sharing false information regarding abortions without doing research.
• Making birth control inaccessible to women.
• Taking away a woman’s means of receiving quality, affordable healthcare.
• Stripping women of their right to a safe, clean abortion in a medical facility.

Based on current events and government decisions regarding some of these aspects, it is clear that there is no progress being made to stop abortions from taking place. Even the criminalization of abortion would do very little to actually stop abortions from taking place; the same amount of women seek out abortions when they are illegal as they do when they are legal. Globally and historically, abortion rates have been consistent. What does fluctuate is that maternal fatality rates; in areas of the world where abortion is illegal, there are far more pregnant women dying from unsafe abortions being performed in nonmedical facilities.

The right to a safe, clean abortion is something that women deserve, especially in a country that denies them alternatives. No matter where they are or what the law says, women are still going to seek abortions in the same numbers that they are now. The issue is not how to make abortion illegal, but how to reduce them from happening. This involves identifying the various reasons that women seek out abortions and pinpointing the ways that these areas can be altered.

The irony of this issue in present context is that many people who are anti-abortion have recently elected a president who may be “pro-life,” but is seizing many of the opportunities that could have prevented women from the need to seek out an abortion in the first place. If pro-life believers truly wish to see an end to abortion, they must elect officials who protect the rights and safety of people already born into the world.