Previous :: Next
- Accomplishment: Stood up for women's reproductive rights.
- What does it mean?
On Sunday, President Obama spoke on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, reminding the American public of the importance of women's reproductive rights, and pointing out "that government should not intrude on private family matters"(Diamond, Marie). Much of President Obama's speech mirrored his earlier statement on the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade (Obama), with one notable difference: since 2009, Obama has allowed his actions to reflect his statements.
The Affordable Healthcare Act, which I discuss more completely in my Affordable Care Act post, includes requirements for health insurers to provide free access to birth control, a point Obama reaffirmed on Friday, to assuage fears that he may cave in to pressure and change his mind on this August 2011 mandate(Margolis).
Most importantly, Obama made a point of all the methods of preventing abortion that do not impede women's reproductive rights, including to "encourage healthy relationships, and promote adoption"(Herb). According to the CDC, "The removal of cost as one barrier to correct and consistent contraceptive use might contribute to a reduction in the number of unintended pregnancies and consequently the number of abortions that are performed in the United States"(Margolis). - Why does it matter?
39 years after the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, women's right to reproductive health still is under attack. 92 abortion restrictions were enacted through 24 states in 2011(Volsky) and the "Republican-led House passed bills in 2011 that would restrict federal subsidies for abortion"(Herb).
As restrictions on contraception coverage grow, unintended pregnancies increase. Financial restrictions disproportionately affect women already struggling to support themselves. If an unintended pregnancy results from a woman's inability to afford contraception, she is far more likely to be unable to afford the basic healthcare to cover her pregnancy, not to speak of supporting a child.
Having to get an abortion is nothing any woman looks forward to. The procedure is traumatic both emotionally and physically. Unfortunately, in addition to lack of coverage and availability of contraception, other unforeseeable circumstances can lead to the need.
On Sunday, at the Worcester, MA Jane Fund Annual Meeting, featured speaker and Jane Fund President, Andrea Miller, told about a woman in crisis the Jane Fund had helped. This woman of 40 years had a medical emergency necessitating a hysterectomy. There was, however, one tragic complication: she was pregnant. With an abortion, her life-saving procedure could be performed; without it, both she and the fetus would die. Her insurance approved her hysterectomy but, under current laws, her insurance was not required to pay for the abortion. They chose to deny coverage, leaving her with a sudden and urgent need to come up with $3,000, which she did not have, or die. Fortunately, Jane Fund volunteers were able to make emergency donor calls and quickly generate donations to fund the abortion(Miller).
Sadly, there are many women who lack the ability to get contraception or abortions specifically due to lack of financial assistance. One of the important features of the Affordable Care Act was to require insurances to provide coverage. However, it is important for us to realize individual measures can chip away at this coverage, and pretty quickly at that. We must remember that our voices are a huge component of whether the measures enacted by the Obama administration remain to work to our benefit, or are crippled or even overturned by opponents.
References
Diamond, Marie. On 39th Anniversary Of Roe v. Wade, Obama Pledges To Defend ‘Women’s Health And Reproductive Freedom.’ Think Progress. Web. 23 Jan. 2012.
Herb, Jeremy. Obama defends Roe v. Wade on anniversary of Supreme Court ruling. The Hill. Web. 22 Jan. 2012.
Margolis, Dan. On Roe v. Wade anniversary, a big win for women from Obama administration. People's World. Web. 23 Jan. 2012.
Miller, Andrea. 22 Jan. 2012. Untitled Speech. Speech presented at Maxwell Silverman's, 25 Union St, Worcester, MA.
Obama, Barack. Statement of President Obama on the 36th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Office of the Press Secretary. Web. 22 Jan. 2009.
Volsky, Igor. Report: 24 States Enacted 92 Abortion Restrictions In 2011. Think Progress. Web. 6 Jan. 2012.
