The Social Problem Of Abortion And Planned Parenthood In The US
Citizens of the country exhibit their rights by voting for government officials. This can be a rigorous decision, because the elected has to implement policies that please and protect the citizens. Due to diversity, some influences and polices are disagreed upon, which prompts socials problems. There are various social claims in the community today such as marriage laws, gun control, and unemployment. The prominent issue being discussed daily is abortion. An abortion is a medical procedure completed to immediately end a pregnancy term before the fetus is full developed. Many ideas come with contrasting viewpoints, and the idea of controlling a woman’s body and the population has it strengths and weaknesses.
Abortion has been a controversial topic for at least two centuries. During the 1800s and 1990s the legalization of the practice was constantly changing. There were factors that had this policy reconsidered often such as population, and illegal completion of the operation. According to Rativiz, “In the 1950s and 1960s, the estimated number of illegal abortions ranged from 200,000 to 1.2 million per year”. This created various risk factors for women, doctors, and children, which lead to the legalization of abortions, again. Today, this dimilema is still prevalent throughout the world, specifically in the United States of America, which has 6 states implementing restrictions on abortion. In 5 of the 6 states stipulations are placed on the period in which a woman may receive the procedure, yet “the most restrictive abortion law in the country is in Alabama. The ban makes abortion illegal in virtually all cases – including cases of rape and incest – and doctors who perform abortions could face life in prison”. This is evidence that history has begun to repeat itself, affecting women and children once again.
The safety of women and children makes the new guidelines a significant concern. Women that are affected specifically are migrants, teenagers, and women deriving from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The regulations placed on abortion makes it challenging for these women to receive the treatment within terms. Migrants, teenagers, and women of low socioeconomic backgrounds have the same issue in common, which is the ability to obtain the funds quickly to have the operation. Although hazardaous abortions are infrequnet in the United States, the increase in restricted polices lead may lead to a climb in deaths related to abortions (Ravi, 2018). Denying women access to this safe service will force them to seek unreliable ways to terminate their pregnancy. In addition, involuntarily bearing child may cause mental health problems for the mother. As a result the child can be born with deficiencies. Lastly, unwanted births can create a substantial amount of kids living in unsafe environments, due to an inability to provide.
The individuals advocating, and protesting against these new theories are women, and they have the assistance of organizations such as Planned Parenthood. “Planned Parenthood claims to be the largest provider of reproductive health services in the United States, offering sexual and reproductive health care, education and outreach to nearly 5 million women, men and adolescents annually worldwide” (Strickland, 2017). Research shows their purpose is to raise attentiveness of sexual encounters, and prepare effective parents. This resourceful program provides services such as abortions, to assist with he awareness of parenthood. Planned Parenthood is supporting women fight for this right by using their access to authority to bring attention to this issue. Trillions of dollars in funds are allocated yearly for healthcare, and Planned Parenthood receives some of those funds through the federal family planning program. Unfortunately, new administration orders are denying abortion referrals. As a result, Planned Parenthood has decided to deny funding. “The group’s decision to stop accepting the money was cheered by anti-abortion groups that have long sought to deprive Planned Parenthood of federal support”. Lastly, women are using another innovative tactic to gain the media’s eye, gaining knowledge of self-managed abortions using legal medications. In August 2019, a group of women met to learn about specific medications that can be taken at home to cause miscarriages.
Academic research began on abortions in the mid-2000s due to the concern of of women’s mental health once they receive an abortion. In 2008 Dianae Greene Foster, a demographer and director of research, began conducting a study with her colleagues. This research focused on three different groups of women visting abortion clinics: received an abortion, barely received it, and did not receive it. Half of the participants had incomes “below the family poverty lines”. The outcome was that the women did not show differences psychologically, yet all of the women suffered from self-esteem problems. Roger’s article (2019), also outlines research controlled by The Turnaway Study. The Turnaway Study focused on women that were denied abortions. Various of the women interviewed stated that they wanted an abortion due to their finicancial circumstances. As a result, they were in poverty, continued to have children, and remained in poverty for at least 4 years following. This indicates that women are able to make decisions that will prevent an increase global issues.
In conclusion, the social problem of abortion is critical in America today. It is unfair for the destiny of women and children to be determined by policies that control women’s bodies. Lawmakers should take into consideration the safety of women and children, and circumstances that may lead to unwanted birth.
References
Belluck, P. (2019, August 19). Planned Parenthood Refuses Federal Funds Over Abortion Restrictions. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/health/planned-parenthood-title-x.html.
Dilawar, A. (2019, July 12). Advocates for Self-Managed Abortions Are Preparing for a Post-Roe World. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from https://psmag.com/social-justice/advocates-for-self-managed-abortions-are-preparing-for-a-post-roe-world.
Ravitz, J. (2016, June 27). The surprising history of abortion in the U.S. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/23/health/abortion-history-in-united-states/index.html.
Rogers, A. (2019, May 21). Abortion Bans Create a Public Health Nightmare. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from https://www.wired.com/story/abortion-bans-create-a-public-health-nightmare/.
Strickland, A. (2017, August 1). Planned Parenthood: Fast facts and revealing numbers. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from https://www.cnn.com/2015/08/04/health/planned-parenthood-by-the-numbers/index.html.
Strickland, A. (2017, August 1). Planned Parenthood: Fast facts and revealing numbers. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from https://www.cnn.com/2015/08/04/health/planned-parenthood-by-the-numbers/index.html.
