Roe v. Wade - What This Means for Women

In 2019, 629,898 legal induced abortions were reported to the CDC from 49 reporting areas, the real figure is likely to be higher as the it is up to states to voluntarily report data to CDC for inclusion in its annual?Abortion Surveillance report. Though there is no national requirement for data submission, Roe v. Wade provided the necessary safeguards for data collection to be possible in the first place, a symbolic indicator of the way the historic ruling affected women’s reproductive rights are treated in the United States.?

In?1973, abortion was legalized nationwide, Roe v. Wade used to protect a pregnant woman's right to choose to have an abortion, but in?2022, the Supreme Court is striking down Roe v. Wade allowing states to have free reign over the personal medical decisions of their constituents. This problem is widespread with 58% of all women in the US living in anti-abortion states. Women seeking professional help will need to either travel to reach an abortion provider or self-manage abortions at home. According to WHO each year, a whopping 4.7–13.2% of maternal deaths can be attributed to unsafe abortion practices.

Traveling for abortion is not a new phenomenon, however the overturning of ROE v. WADE moves us three steps backwards, increasing limitation on abortion access in the United States and reducing 50 years of work to nothing.?

The research that systematically reviews the literature on women’s experiences traveling for abortion showed that most of the women (51%) who traveled for abortion mentioned that the reason for legal issues in their states followed by having passed the gestational limit for a legal abortion (31%). If you live in the southern U.S. border and seeking a medical centre for abortion traveling to Mexico is the preferred option as it has already proved affordable, quality access to healthcare.?In Mexico, abortion medication is readily available at many pharmacies throughout the country, for instance, a certain non-surgical abortion pill costs about $30. According to the Guttmacher Institute, the average cost for a first-trimester abortion in the US is $650 – $750.

Preparation for abortion is crucial as it is known to induce undue stress, overthinking, and anxiety in patients. The legality and cost of treatment are barriers of entry that add to the problem resulting in patients having to resort to unsafe practices, causing undue to physical and mental harm. HealthPass is working to help women across the US to access safe, reliable, and affordable care. As a women led organization, HealthPass seeks to fill in the rather large gaps in the national healthcare service created by this unprecedented ruling.

REMEMBER- healthcare and the decision to reproduce is a human right, no matter where you live!