In the final presidential debate, Donald Trump made it clear he does not understand abortion. He is a pro-life candidate who wants to overturn Roe v. Wade. Trump claims his potential nominees for the Supreme Court will return the issue of abortion access to the states.
There is nothing wrong with being pro-life, every individual is entitled to opinions over abortion access. However, it is unfair to impose those beliefs on millions of women who do not share the pro-life stance and want choices when planning their reproductive health.
Making abortion illegal is the wrong decision. Abortion has existed for thousands of years. It will not stop if a law is enacted. As a woman, it is strange to see Trump, a man, telling me that I don’t have a choice in controlling my reproductive health care. Many men have dictated when, where and if a woman is allowed to abort an unwanted pregnancy.
Roe v. Wade offered women choice. It gave the right to abortion while simultaneously allowing state involvement to become stronger over the course of the pregnancy. The case broke pregnancy into three trimesters. During the first trimester, abortions were permitted and deemed medically safe. And with each following trimester, more restrictions could be imposed to ensure the safety of the mother and the potentiality of human life.
If an abortion occurs in the third trimester it is considered late-term. Around one percent of abortions in the United States are late-term. There are many reasons for a woman to get a late-term partial birth abortion: fetal abnormalities, discovery of genetic defects or the mother’s life is at risk.
Trump was asked his opinion about late-term partial birth abortions. “I think it is terrible.” Trump said. “If you go with what Hillary is saying, in the ninth month, you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby.”
What Trump describes is not a type of abortion that is performed in the United States. Trump misrepresented Clinton’s stance on a woman’s right to choose. And Clinton spoke for many when she said, “using that kind of scare rhetoric is just terribly unfortunate.”
Trump’s rendition of abortion is induced labor. Many children around the country birthed via C-section must now be questioning if their entry into the world was really a failed abortion (including yours truly).
Abortion access is an extremely important issue for women’s health. Most women do not want to be put in the position to undergo an abortion. Trump is not a politician and quite obviously shows no respect for women and women’s health.
States are legally allowed to restrict late-term abortion with exceptions and many have. However, states should not be permitted to restrict abortion in all cases. Women have the capacity to make decisions about their own health. I don’t want to live in a country that restricts my access to birth controls because a vocal minority wants to outlaw abortion in all cases. Roe v. Wade is extremely important. It should not be overturned. All females deserve birth control options.
