Being a Woman Shouldn’t Carry a Death Sentence
Why Women’s Lives Are at Stake in the 2024 Elections
In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization dismantled the constitutional right to abortion established by Roe v. Wade nearly 50 years earlier.
The conservative majority’s ruling unleashed a wave of restrictive state laws that not only banned or severely limited abortion but also had dangerous, life-threatening consequences for women’s healthcare.
In some states, the mere fact of being a woman can feel like it carries a death sentence. These laws have put millions of women at risk, denying them access to necessary reproductive healthcare and threatening their lives.
The Impact of Abortion Restrictions on Women's Health
Across the United States, states with anti-abortion laws have created a healthcare crisis for women.
Following the Dobbs decision states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee quickly implemented near-total abortion bans, often with few exceptions for cases where the woman’s life is in danger.
These laws have resulted in delayed or denied medical care for women experiencing miscarriages or pregnancy complications—conditions that, if left untreated, can result in severe health consequences or death.
Medical procedures that were once routine, such as performing a dilation and curettage (D&C) to remove fetal tissue after a miscarriage, are now scrutinized and sometimes withheld due to fear of legal prosecution.
This hesitation has led to dangerous delays in care, particularly in life-threatening situations such as ectopic pregnancies, hemorrhaging, and sepsis.
These restrictive laws also create uncertainty in hospitals and clinics, where healthcare providers are unsure about what treatments they can legally offer.
The legal ambiguity in many states has caused a chilling effect in reproductive healthcare, where doctors and nurses now weigh the risks of performing necessary procedures against the fear of criminal charges.
Miscarriages: When Losing a Pregnancy Becomes a Crime
One of the most harmful effects of the new anti-abortion laws is the criminalization of miscarriage care. Miscarriages, which affect up to 20% of pregnancies, often require medical intervention to prevent complications such as infection or hemorrhaging.
However, the medical treatment for miscarriage—such as medication to induce uterine contractions or surgical procedures to remove fetal tissue—resembles the treatment for abortion.
In states with strict abortion bans, this overlap has led to delays in care for women suffering miscarriages.
Additional Reading: From Forced Sterilization to Modern Struggles: The Unseen War on Women's Reproductive Rights
Doctors are often hesitant to provide treatment until the woman’s condition becomes life-threatening for fear of being accused of performing an illegal abortion.
As a result, women are being forced to endure unnecessary pain, suffering, and the risk of severe health complications, including death.
In some cases, women experiencing miscarriages have even been investigated by law enforcement, further traumatizing those who are already facing the emotional toll of pregnancy loss.
These investigations treat women as suspects, creating an environment of fear and mistrust between patients and healthcare providers.
The Risks of Denying Lifesaving Healthcare
Women who experience life-threatening pregnancy complications are also at greater risk due to these restrictive laws.
Conditions such as ectopic pregnancies—where the embryo implants outside the uterus—are medical emergencies that require immediate intervention.
If left untreated, an ectopic pregnancy can cause the fallopian tube to rupture, leading to internal bleeding and death.
However, in states where abortion is heavily restricted, healthcare providers are sometimes hesitant to perform the necessary procedures to terminate these pregnancies, fearing that they could be accused of breaking the law.
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This hesitation endangers women's lives, as any delay in treatment can result in irreversible damage or death.
Other serious pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia or placental abruption, also require immediate medical intervention to save the life of the mother.
Yet, in some states, hospitals are delaying care until a woman's condition has deteriorated to the point where there is no legal ambiguity about the need for intervention.
These delays are unnecessarily putting women's lives in danger.
The Political Agenda Behind Anti-Abortion Laws
The push for stricter abortion laws is part of a broader political agenda that seeks to control women's bodies, limit their autonomy, and enforce a particular ideological viewpoint.
While lawmakers who support these measures often claim to be "protecting life," the reality is that these laws are doing the opposite by denying women access to essential healthcare and putting their lives at risk.
It is no coincidence that the states with the most restrictive abortion laws also have some of the worst maternal health outcomes.
Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, for example, consistently rank at the bottom for maternal mortality rates, access to healthcare, and reproductive services.
Women in these states, particularly women of color and those living in poverty, are disproportionately affected by these restrictive policies.
The underlying goal of these laws is to control women’s reproductive choices, forcing them to carry pregnancies to term regardless of the health risks or personal circumstances.
In many cases, these laws are not just about banning abortion but also about restricting access to contraception and other forms of reproductive healthcare.
What’s at Stake in the Upcoming Elections
The Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs has made it clear that the future of women's rights in America will be determined at the ballot box.
With the upcoming general and presidential elections, voters will have the opportunity to decide whether women will regain control over their reproductive healthcare or continue to face life-threatening restrictions.
For Democrats, protecting women’s rights is a top priority. Many Democratic candidates have pledged to codify abortion rights into federal law, ensuring that women in every state have access to safe and legal reproductive healthcare.
On the other hand, many Republican candidates have expressed support for national abortion bans, further restricting women's rights across the country.
Conclusion: The Fight for Women's Lives
Being a woman in America today should not carry a death sentence.
The restrictive abortion laws enacted after the Dobbs decision have placed millions of women at risk, forcing them to endure dangerous pregnancies, suffer from untreated miscarriages, and face life-threatening health complications.
The stakes for women’s rights in the upcoming elections could not be higher.
As voters head to the polls, they must consider the real-world consequences of these laws. Women’s health, autonomy, and dignity are at stake.
This election is about more than just politics—it’s about survival. Women deserve access to healthcare that prioritizes their safety and well-being, not one that places them at risk. The time to act is now.
Total madness.