Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Sponsored content

The US anti-abortion movement or pro-life movement was formed by people opposing induced abortion, debating about the religious and moral grounds on this matter. Before the 1973 decisions at the Supreme Court in the case Roe v. Wade and later the Doe v. Bolton, such views were predominated and painted in state laws. Abortions were prohibited or restricted in many ways. The Roe v. Wade decision struck down many state laws that restricted abortions, leading to the movement we all know today – pro-choice i.e. the movement for legal abortions and the right to choose.

This topic is frequently discussed in academic circles, too. You’ll often come across a Pro Choice (abortion) essay or argumentative research papers where students fiercely discuss the need for the movement and its impact on the US. If you are interested in reading some essay examples on these topics, you can explore a free database of Pro Choice argumentative essays. These cost nothing to read and can be a highly valuable tool in writing your thesis statement or getting some insight on the topic.

In this article, we’ll discuss the pro-choice side of the abortion debate in the US and the movement for these rights, as well as the ways in which this saved America.

https://unsplash.com/photos/RizKMOCwNuU 

Abortion in America throughout the Years

It wasn’t until 1965 when a Supreme Court decision set a precedent for a right to privacy in terms of reproductive healthcare (Griswold v. Connecticut). As a result, organizations were formed to mobilize the opinions against legalizing abortions, mostly led by religious institutions and communities.

Fast forward to Roe v. Wade and the description ‘pro-life’ was finally adopted in the US. Abortion throughout the ages has changed tremendously ever since. This decision held that a woman can terminate her pregnancy during the period when the viability of the fetus outside the womb is non-existent, or for health reasons.

If we take a look at the changes today, we have 4 anti-abortion US presidents being elected, including Donald Trump and George H. W. Bush. So yes both sides of the debate are still very present and new laws against it have been promoted within the states. After all, states are allowed to regulate their separate laws regarding abortion.

Even so, the pro-choice movement doesn’t seem to lose its power either – and for a good reason. Proponents of this idea fight for the reproductive rights of women, as well as aim to resolve many health issues that result from banning the right to abortion.

How Pro-Choice Movements Saved the US

A lot has changed over the years thanks to this movement. Here are some of the biggest changes that saved America.

Abortion is Now a Safe Procedure

Legal abortions have a death rate of 0.7 for every 100,000 procedures being one. For every 100,000 plastic surgeries, there are 1 to 2 deaths. Childbirth deaths are even more frequent – 9 per 100,000 deliveries. This means that, in the US, the abortion procedure is much safer than many others, and this doesn’t even begin to cover medication abortion and its mortality rate. A combination of Misoprostol and Mifeprex, for example, comes with a rate of 6.5 deaths per a million patients. This rate is significantly smaller than the rate for Tylenol, for example.

https://unsplash.com/photos/ivf0a5a6pRA 

Reduced Number of Unsafe Abortions and Fatal Consequences

If abortion bans are put into place, this can increase pregnancy-related maternal deaths by 20%. This doesn’t even begin to cover the women who will die from illegal options.

On a global level, almost half of all abortions are unsafe, especially in developing countries. Making this a no choice for women would lead to more people opting for illegal abortions.

Better Healthcare for Those Requiring Medical Treatment

The medical treatment for extremely difficult and nonviable pregnancies is basically abortion. Over the years, there have been cases where women died because it was illegal to abort a nonviable pregnancy. About 1 in 50 pregnancies are ectopic and bleeding from the causes 10% of all pregnancy-related deaths. Legalizing abortions allowed these women to take care of their health and deserve the treatment they need.

Women Finally Enjoy Their Right to Choose

The right to choose belongs to everyone and is a human right. There were times when raped women could not abort a baby because of laws and restrictions, or times when 13-year old girls couldn’t do this even if they wanted to – and most of them did.

Pro-choice gave women a voice, autonomy, and the option to choose if they are ready for a baby. Being denied an abortion has resulted in depression, anxiety, and even suicide in many cases.

Wrapping Up

Laws and regulations regarding abortion are changing all the time around the world. While we cannot anticipate what tomorrow can bring, no one can really fight the ways in which pro-choice saved America.