From Personal To Political - Abortion Policy And Bodily Autonomy As A Woman

1AbortionPolicyandBodilyAutonomyasaW omanOnMay2,2022,PoliticoobtainedaleakedinitialdraftofthemajorityopinionwrittenbyJusticeSamuelAlitosuggestingthattheSupremeCourtispoisedtooverturnRoeandCaseyinapendingfinaldecisiononDobbsv .JacksonW omen'sHealthOr ganization(Gerstein).AsawomaninAmerica,thisissuedirectlyaf fectsmyrighttochooseandsetsaprecedentforfurtherlegislationtoregulatemyownbody .Becauseofthesefactors,IhavetakenituponmyselftorestartmyfinalpapertowriteaboutabortionasapoliticalandsocialissueinAmericaanditsimplicationsifrepealed.Thehistoryofthepracticewithinthecontextofregularpolicy ,thehistoryoftheSupremeCourt sopiniononthepractices,andmyownopinionswillallbeexaminedthroughoutthispaper .TheissueofabortionhasbeencontroversialinAmericansocietyforquitesometime.UpuntiltheimplementationofRoev .W adein1973,thepracticeofabortionwasregulatedbythestates.Manyofthestatesruledabortionillegalexceptforcasesinwhichthemother slifewasatstake.Formanyyears,thedebatebehindAbortionhadtwosides:thePro-LifesidethatchampionedtheprohibitionofabortionandthePro-Choicesidethatprotectedawoman srighttochoose.ReligiousgroupshavesupportedthePro-Lifesideofthedebateforaslongastheissuehasexisted.TheCatholicChurchinsiststhatthepracticeisasin,withsomegoingasfarastocallitmurder .ThePro-Choicesideofthedebateconsistsmainlyofwomen'srightssupporterswhoar guethatthechoiceisuptotheindividual.ThepracticeofabortionwasdoneinsecrecylongbeforeRoev .W ademadeitlegal.Thepracticewasbothillegalanddangerous,asabortionsweredoneusingcruelmethodssuchasacoathanger .Theseconditionscausedpro-choicesupporterstoadvocateforlegalandof ficialclinics.2Theimplementationoflawsandregulationsregardingthepracticeofabortionbeganinthemidtolate1800s.Bythistime,manystateshadstartedimplementingstatutesthatbannedthepracticealtogether .Thefederalgovernmentstayedawayfromtheissueuntil1973whentheSupremeCourtdealtwiththecaseofRoev .W ade1973.Therulingofthecasemadeabortionlegalthroughouttheentirenation.Therulingalsosetupatrimesterframeworkthatwoulddecidethetimingofabortion.SoonaftertherulingofRoeV .W ade,TheSupremeCourtruledonthecasePlannedPar enthoodv .Casey(1992),whichrejectedtheoriginaltrimesterframeworkwhileaf firmingitscentralholdingthatawomanhasarighttoanabortionuntilfetalviability(Chemerinsky).TheSupremeCourtwouldalsoruleonthecaseofStenber gv .Car hart(2000),statingthatapartial-birthabortion(late-termabortioneitherofanalreadydeadfetusorkilledfetus)banlackedahealthexception.Surprisingly ,theUnitedStatesCongresspassedtheHydeAmendment,alegislativeprovisionthatprohibitstheuseoffederalfundsforabortion.Sincethen,individualstateshaveattemptedtopasscontroversiallawsthatcriminalizeabortions.Forinstance,T exaspassedthecontroversialbillHB2,abillthatwouldoutlawabortionsoffetusesolderthan20weeks.TheT exasHB2billwouldbemetwithmuchoppositionfromthegeneralpublicbutwouldultimatelystayinef fecttothisday .TheopinionoftheUnitedStatesSupremeCourthasstayedthesamesinceitsrulinginRoev .W ade.WhiletheSupremeCourtbelievesthatawoman'srightsshouldbeprotected,ithastobalancethestate sconcernsregardingthepotentialityofhumanlife.T obalancethesetwoviews,thecourtwouldtiethestate'sintereststothethirdtrimesterofawoman spregnancy .Thestatelawsbanningabortionwouldmainlybetiedtothethirdtrimesterofpregnancy ,leavingthefirsttwotrimestersopentothewoman sright.WhendecidingthecaseofRoev .W ade,theSupremeCourtstatedthatwomenhaveafundamentalrighttoterminatetheirpregnancy ,3despitewhatthestatefeelsisright.TheverysamedaythatRoev .W adewasdecided,theSupremeCourtdefinedthedefinitionofhealth.Theirdefinitionwasbroadlydefinedasfactorssuchasphysicalcondition,includingemotional,psychologicalandfamilial.ThisdefinitionplayedacrucialroleincasessuchasStenber gv .Car hart(2000),wheretheSupremeCourtstruckdownapartial-birthabortionbanbecauseitlackedanyhealthfactors.TheSupremeCourt'sopinionregardingabortionsisthatitisconstitutional,whichmeanstheyshouldbelegal.Despitethisruling,stateshaveeithertriedtoextendthelimitssetbytheSupremeCourtwithoutviolatingthemorhavebeenattemptingtoprohibitabortionaltogether .OneofthecoreprinciplesthattheUnitedStateswasfoundedonwasindividualliberties,therightsofanindividualoutsideofgovernmentcontrol.Whatonedoeswithone'sownbodyisgenerallyacceptedasindividualliberty ,sotheoretically ,youwouldbeabletogetanabortionwithoutgovernmentintervention.Logicdictatesthatwhatonedoeswithone'sbodyisone'schoiceandalone.Theissuewithsayingthisisthatofreligion.Theinfluenceofreligionanditislifestartsatconceptiondefinitioncategorizesabortionasmurder .Itishardtoputtheopinionsoffaithandlogicsidebysideastheytendtocontradictoneanother .Thisissuecouldn'tgetmorepersonalasitdirectlyaf fectsmyabilitytoregulatemyownbodywithinthiscountry-letalonethemillionsofotherwomenwhowillbesubjectedtothegovernmentalregulationthisoverrulingwillcause.4CitationsChemerinsky ,Erwin(2019).ConstitutionalLaw:PrinciplesandPolicies(6thed.).NewY ork:W oltersKluwer .ISBN978-1-4548-9574-9.ContisG,HernWM.UnitedStatesgovernmentpolicyonabortion.AmJPublicHealth.1971May;61(5):1038-41.doi:10.2105/ajph.61.5.1038.PMID:5142590;PMCID:PMC1529840.Gerstein,Josh;W ard,Alexander(May2,2022)."Exclusive:SupremeCourthasvotedtooverturnabortionrights,draftopinionshows."Politico.RetrievedMay3,2022.Mears,W illiam;Franken,Bob(January22,2003)."30yearsafterruling,ambiguity ,anxietysurroundabortiondebate".CNN.Inall,theRoeandDoerulingsimpactedlawsin46states.Roev .W ade,410U.S.1 13(1973).