In 2021 the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. Fifty years of settled law was overturned in minute–fifty years of women having control over their bodies, deciding if they want to be pregnant. This opened the door for states to make their own laws which delineate what health care services a woman can access. Currently, abortion is banned in fifteen states.

In Alabama, all abortions at every stage of pregnancy are outlawed. The law allows an exception only if the patient’s life or health is at serious risk. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

In Arkansas, abortions are banned entirely from conception, with an exception only to save the life of the pregnant person. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

In Kentucky, all abortions are banned, with an exception only to save the life of the pregnant person. There are no exceptions for rape or incest

In Louisiana, all abortions are banned with exceptions only for life endangerment or lethal fetal anomalies. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

In Missouri, all abortions are banned allowing intervention solely for medical emergencies.

In Oklahoma, all abortions are banned from the moment of conception. An exception is made if the life of the mother is in danger. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

In South Dakota, abortion is banned except when necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant person. The law explicitly excludes rape or incest.

In Texas, abortions are banned from the moment of conception. An exception is made only to save the life or prevent substantial physical Impairment of the mother. Rape and incest are omitted.

In West Virginia, abortion is banned from the moment of conception. There are very narrow exceptions for medical emergencies and lethal fetal anomalies. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

Other states have heavy restrictions on abortions. Idaho, North Dakota and Mississippi allow exceptions for rape or incest but restrict them tightly. A police report is required and access to abortion is capped at six weeks. Most women do not even know they are pregnant at that time.  

It doesn’t stop there. In states that ban abortion, women are three times as likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth or soon after giving birth. Babies born in states where abortion is illegal are thirty percent more likely to die in their first month of life.

One in four teens live in states that ban abortion. Seven in ten women live in states that ban or severely restrict abortion.

These are human beings forced to carry a pregnancy to term, even if it is the result of sexual assault or incest. Age is irrelevant; children as young as 13 are forced to carry a pregnancy to term. Often girls are impregnated by a much older man. Only seventeen states explicitly ban child marriage. Yes, seventeen out of fifty.

In high income wealthy nations, the United States ranks the highest in maternal mortality. Neonatal deaths are also disproportionately high compared to other wealthy developed countries like Canada and the United Kingdom.

Significant racial disparities exist among minority populations. Non-Hispanic Black women and American Indian/Alaska Native women experience maternal and infant mortality rates two to three times that of white women.

Women who seek abortion care are often subject to heavy fines and in some cases imprisonment. Fear and suspicion on the part of medical personnel have already resulted in denial of necessary reproductive care, with death being the result.

It is dangerous to be pregnant in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease control from 2018-2022, maternal mortality increased from 17.4 per 100,000 deaths to 33.6%per 100,00 live births.

Let’s be clear; this has nothing to do with being concerned about children. This is about a bunch of men deciding that every conception should lead to a live birth. This is about men controlling women’s bodies. This is about taking agency from pregnant persons when they face one of the most difficult decisions in their life. This is patriarchy on parade, unapologetically slashing women’s rights. Men should not be in women’s uteruses.

I am not debating the morality of abortion. I believe that access to abortion is a decision between a pregnant person and her health care provider. I believe that abortion is health care.

Abortion is as old as human history. It is widely believed that abortion was practiced in ancient near eastern civilizations and throughout the ancient world. The first written reference to abortion occurred in 1600 BCE when The Ancient Egyptian Papyrus Ebera was penned.

Abortion likely existed during the writing of the First Testament. It occupies no significant space in the narrative of Israel. It was a non-issue.

Since abortion existed in Jesus’ time, it is interesting that he never mentioned or commented on it. It played no part in the narrative of Jesus’ life and the life of the early church. Jesus trusted the agency of women to lead fledgling churches, serve as deacons and generally take on all the tasks that men performed in the early church.  Jesus kept company with women. They were part of his inner circle. There are clues hidden throughout the Second Testament. This is not to say that women were treated equally, far from it. Women were regularly stoned to death for adultery. Laws about divorce favored men. Women had little power under Roman occupation.

Jesus was revolutionary in his treatment of women and was roundly criticized for it. Maybe it’s time we acted more like Jesus. Women’s lives are depending on it.