Why you should care about losing Roe

When a U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion was leaked this month, the fears of many throughout the country were confirmed: A majority of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court stand ready to overturn Roe v. Wade in as little as 30 days.

For nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade, which protects the constitutional right to an abortion, has been the law of the land. During the intervening years, reproductive rights and abortion access have become intensely political. Slogans and labels dominate, while the finer points of the issue have fallen by the wayside. The idea of the U.S. turning back the clock and returning to a preRoe world appeared unlikely as courts rebuffed case after case seeking Roe’s reversal. Now a world without Roe, unless something drastically changes, is looming.

Recent polling found 50% of voters support upholding Roe while just 28% support overturning it. Another 22% are undecided. I know for many staunch supporters of the prolife movement, there is no series of sentences I can string together or collections of moving stories I can compile to change your minds. However, for the 22% willing to hear me out, I’d like to explain why I support a woman’s right to choose.

Reproductive rights pertains to health care access and fundamental human rights. These values are shared by most Americans. Most of us want the ability to make decisions we think are best for our families, and we want others to have those same basic rights as well.

Raising a child can be a wonderful, rewarding experience, but it’s a very serious responsibility. Many issues need to be considered before deciding to take on parenthood. For many, an unexpected pregnancy doesn’t feel like a blessing. Debilitating anxiety takes over.

With the U.S. maternal mortality rate and pregnancy-associated deaths increasing, I shudder to think about what abortion bans will mean for millions, especially women of color and low-income women with unequal access to adequate health care. The consequences of being denied an abortion have lasting, detrimental effects on a woman’s health and economic security. Women who are denied an abortion are four times more likely to live below the poverty level and are at greater risk of being unable to cover basic living expenses in the years following birth. Most who get an abortion already are struggling to make ends meet.

Being forced to carry a child to term lowers credit scores, increases debts and can lead to extreme financial challenges. Many of these women, especially domestic assault victims, end up raising a child alone. These women are more likely to rely on government benefits.

These factors have a negative impact on the child’s health and social development while depriving them of a stable upbringing. The same can be said for children who end up in state custody or foster care. If we truly care for the life of an unborn child, then we need to seriously consider what quality of life they will be given.

If we really want to support our mothers, sisters and daughters, then we should focus on ways to increase equality for women. Equality won’t be realized by forcing women into parenthood and poverty, or even more to the extreme, by criminalizing abortion.

The ability to choose allows women the opportunity to pursue higher education, attain financial security, set more goals and raise a child under better circumstances. Starting a family when the time is right is what’s best for parents and for children.

Abortion is a deeply personal choice and one that is not made lightly. In all my years engaged with this issue, I haven’t met anyone who had an abortion without weighing all their options before coming to the decision that’s best for them. What’s most important is that it was their decision to make. When reproductive rights are treated as just another political battlefield, we do a disservice to the women who have already made this choice and to the women who will make this choice.

So, for those who aren’t sure where they stand, I ask that you try to understand why abortion access matters, and what it will mean when it’s no longer an option in states across the country.

Schwank, a Reading Democrat, represents the 11th Senatorial District.