The wacky MAGA politicians seem to be pondering what they call a “compromise” on abortion. They are trying to look reasonable by saying such things as: “OK girls, let’s just cut the baby in half and ban abortion after 15 weeks”.
Yes, right … you penis owning uterus hating old white men in suits. In that case, what do we tell the 12-year-old raped by her uncle who is 16 weeks pregnant? Go ahead girlie, have your uncle’s baby. Oh, and have a nice day.
A 15-week limit is working in black and white absolutes, but abortion and pregnancy care are full of grey nuances. Each case is an exception.
Any arbitrary cutoff limit (actually a ban) threatens the lives of hundreds of women and girls.
Oh, and BTW to set the record straight. There is no such thing as “abortion up to birth” which some politicians are ranting against.
Let’s talk about women and girls who wait past 15 weeks to decide to have an abortion shall we?
Who are women and girls who wait past 15 weeks?
1. They are younger. Studies show that for the reasons below, young women avoid confirming their pregnancy, hide their pregnancy from their friends & family, are ignorant about the signs of pregnancy, and have unrealistic expectations about pregnancy and childbirth.
2. They are poorer. Poor people have less access to healthcare. Transportation is a barrier. Getting off of work to get to an abortion clinic is a barrier. Paying is a barrier. So, in general, poorer women don’t have the resources to prevent pregnancy OR the access to medical confirmation of pregnancy.
3. They are more rural. Rural areas don’t have easy access to healthcare. Traveling miles and miles to see a doctor is a major detriment to early pregnancy detection and decisionmaking.
4. They have more lifestyle and emotional issues. Women who delay are living in whirlwind. They have jobs. They have children. They are juggling money matters. They are distracted and usually taking care of a family and forget to take care of themselves. They may have psychological issues. Or they may be abused by their partner. They may have disabled children to care for. They have alot swirling around in their lives.
5. They have just found out their wanted pregnancy has gone horribly wrong. Many women who delay have wanted pregnancies. A sonogram to tell if there is a problem is done at about 20 weeks, so these women have no idea they have a flawed pregnancy until that time.
Why do they wait so long?
1. Money to get an abortion. Many women don’t have $600 sitting around in a flush account. They have to borrow, save, beg, sell things, etc. to come up with the cash for the abortion. This takes time and the longer a woman waits, the more expensive the abortion becomes.
2. Lack of access to healthcare. Alot of women and girls don’t even have access to confirming that they are pregnant. They may suspect something is off, but don’t have the means to confirm it.
3. Lack of knowledge about pregnancy. Many young women don’t know the signs of pregnancy. Some women don’t have any signs. Some people so don’t want to be pregnant that they reinterpret the signs of pregnancy as something else. “Oh, I’ve been nauseous because I’ve had the flu.” “I missed my period due to stress.” “I’ve got a little belly because I’ve been eating too much.” Get the picture?
4. Onerous State regulations make abortion access difficult. Many states have waiting periods, consent requirements and other barriers to easy access to abortion. Additionally, many state laws have put abortion clinics out of business.
5. Afraid to tell their partner & hope things will get better. Many women really really want to have their baby but don’t want to bring a child into the world with a partner who is violent, or an alcoholic, or a drug abuser. So, they wait hoping things will improve. It rarely does.
6. Already have a complete family. Women worry that another child will put a financial and emotional burden on their already complete family.
7. Can’t afford another child. Some women wait to hope that their financial condition will improve so they can afford another child. Some women and families have a financial crisis or illness that means they can’t afford to have the child. Life is fluid.
8. Have a pregnancy with a serious complication that will not sustain life. Since generally genetic tests and ultrasounds don’t find fetal anomalies until about 20 weeks of pregnancy, this makes it harder for women in distress to make a decision and find a clinic. Later abortions are not easily available, and are extremely costly and medically sensitive.
9. Have a pregnancy that threatens their life. Many pregnant people can experience complications with pregnancy that threaten their life. An immediate abortion is a life saving treatment. There must be an alternative.
15 Weeks is Killing Women
Later abortions are actually some of the most necessary. I call them “Mercy Abortions”. These are women in distress about something. Their cries and needs should be heard. They shouldn’t be dumped in a class of disposable women who are ripe for exploitation. They are some of the most vulnerable and should be supported by society and the legal system.
Politicians need to know what they are talking about before throwing around what seems to be a simplistic solution. It could be your wife, daughter, sister, mother, aunt, or friend who has one of these 15-week plus exceptions and needs an abortion.
