Today marks 46 years since the U.S. Supreme Court held that abortion is a constitutional right in the landmark 1973 decision, Roe v. Wade. While the 7-2 decision remains the law of the land after nearly half a century, Roe has been chipped away over the years by anti-reproductive health politicians and organizations and is under threat like never before.
The Trump/Pence administration has pursued an aggressive anti-reproductive health agenda and continues to stack our courts at every level with anti-reproductive health judges who will shape them for decades to come. This includes new U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who demonstrated hostility to abortion in both his past decisions and speeches, and who poses the biggest threat to Roe in generations.
Since 2011, state legislatures have passed more than 400 restrictions on abortion, and in 2018, 15 states adopted 27 new limits on abortion and family planning. While anti-reproductive health politicians and interest groups claim to care about the well-being of women, their relentless pursuit of restricting access to reproductive health care, including abortion, only serves to harm women. We know that abortion is among the safest medical procedures in this country. We also know that making abortion illegal does not stop abortion – it only stops access to safe, legal abortion.
The shameful reality is that tens of thousands of women die each year worldwide from unsafe abortions, and millions more are harmed by unsafe conditions caused by restrictive abortion laws.
Despite the unrelenting attacks on abortion rights by anti-reproductive health groups, the majority of Americans do not want to return to a pre-Roe world. Voters overwhelmingly believe abortion should be safe and legal; polls show that 72 percent of Americans do not want to see Roe v. Wade overturned. Research shows that women who wish to have an abortion but cannot access one are more likely to spend years living in poverty than women who are able to access abortion. We should be focusing on expanding access to reproductive health services, including birth control and abortion, not putting up unnecessary barriers.
Here in New Hampshire, we are fortunate to have bipartisan support for access to safe, legal abortion. While anti-reproductive health legislators and interest groups try year after year to enact unnecessary and harmful restrictions on abortion, our state continues to show strong support for reproductive health care, including abortion services.
So on this day, the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, let us remember what this decision means, and remember that generations of women have come of age understanding they have the fundamental right to control their own bodies, and in turn, their destinies.
The battle for our rights goes on, but we have shifted the conversation in a profound way. We are making abortion understood as an essential part of health care, and we are sharing our stories without apology. The power of our collective voices cannot be ignored.
At Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, we will continue to stand up every single day for our patients’ reproductive health, including access to safe, legal abortion. We hope you will stand with us – our lives depend on it.
(Sabrina Dunlap is vice president for public policy in New Hampshire for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.)