Abortion, the forever controversy. The new Texas abortion law, which is especially severe, has been a main topic of discussion in both the news and in our ISL student body. 

The current issues surrounding the right to abortion has sparked new thoughts about the role of women and has allowed individuals to express their opinions.  In this day and age we are free to share our opinions online. We are seeing celebrities and our peers freely express their opinions on this sensitive topic where previously they may not have been so public.

So why has this law been so controversial and why is it getting our attention?

The new Texan Abortion Law is being viewed by many as a step back for the rights of women to have control of their bodies.

• The law states that women in Texas are not allowed to get an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. Currently, 85-90% of procedures are performed after six weeks of pregnancy in Texas. The law appears to be purposefully restrictive as it limits the access as well as right of women in Texas to have an abortion.

• The law states that a Doctor may not knowingly perform an abortion on a pregnant woman if the fetus has a detectable fetal heartbeat. Such a defect can only be detected after six weeks.

• The law allows for exceptions in the case of a medical emergency. However, medical emergencies do not include pregnancies as a result of rape, incest or non viable pregnancy. With this kind of restriction the debate becomes a question of the right to life of the mother and the right to life of the child. Do we really expect women to carry the child of their rapist? Having to go through that trauma and then not having any options available? Is this law designed to create complications for women? 

• The only case in which women are allowed to get an abortion after the six week mark (medical emergencies) is if the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, if the woman has HELLP syndrome (a severe variant of pre-eclampsia), if the woman is a cancer patient who cannot receive chemotherapy while pregnant and/or woman who have a cancer that can be untreatable over a couple of mounths or a woman that has heart problems that could lead to cardiac arrest. 

• The law puts all those involved in aiding an abortion in legal difficulty. Everyone can be sued. This includes Doctors, nurses, receptionists, taxi drivers bringing women to a clinic, anyone sharing abortion information, insurers and even family members who may not have been aware. This also extends to people out of the state of Texas that help in anyway to facilitate an out of state abortion. 

Something we need to think about is, if abortions are illegal will there be even more heath risks and social stigma for women?

The answer is yes they will. In many countries where abortions are illegal women who have been raped and abused are forced to have abortions in unsafe conditions. The lack of access to safe and legal care kills thousands of women internationally.

So as a student body where do we stand? Does what is happening in Texas impact our thinking around abortion and a woman’s right to choose?

A recent survey of Year 10 students revealed the following:

Overall, in Year 10 about 95% of people who answered believe that abortions should be allowed. There is a wide agreement among students that people should be able to make decisions about their own bodies. Our Year 10 students feel strongly that a woman should have the right to choose what happens to her body and feel strongly that empathy needs to be shown to women in these difficult circumstances. However, the difficult question of balancing the rights of the unborn child and the mother is still debated among the students.As the debate rages on in the U.S. many people have strong beliefs that having access to abortions is wrong due to religious, political, emotional or personal morals. The abortion controversy will roll on. Stay informed and stay active in your role for the ongoing battle of women’s rights when it comes to abortion.