January marks the anniversary of the passage of Roe v. Wade, 48 years ago this month. Roe v. Wade — the legalization of abortion without undue interference from the state — was a huge step in recognizing reproductive rights. It was also huge in the acknowledgment that everyone should have the right to make personal decisions about their own bodies.
Historically, communities of color and low-income people face even more barriers to be able to access abortion care. Although Roe v. Wade made abortion legal across the country in 1973, there are still many who struggle to find a health center near them and a way to cover the financial cost of the procedure.
While we now have an administration that is far more supportive of reproductive and human rights, there is still a lot of work to be done to undo the harm of the past four years and to work to expand access to safe and legal abortion for all.
Anti-abortion politicians and opponents continue to chip away at our rights incrementally, with 6-week abortion bans, hospital admitting privileges for physicians, and waiting periods — attempting to wear down the clinicians who perform abortion and the patients who seek it.
Abortion is a common and safe medical procedure. But abortion is surrounded by societal stigma.
Abortion Facts:
- 1 in 4 American women will have an abortion by age 45.
- 7 in 10 Americans support abortion rights.
- Abortion is not associated with breast cancer, infertility, miscarriage, or poor mental health.
- Abortion has a safety record of over 99%.
Sharing stories is one of the most effective ways to reduce stigma and prejudice around abortion. As more people find safe ways to share their stories with friends and family, the harder it is to stigmatize abortion.
Now is not the time to let down our guard. To hold onto our rights to safe and legal abortion — and to ensure, moreover, that everyone has access to exercise this right — we need to stay attentive, to speak up, and to collectively normalize what is a very common medical procedure.
To get involved, explore our Goodbye Stigma page and video series.
On Facebook.
On Instagram.
For more information about abortion, visit plannedparenthood.org.
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Tags: Abortion, Roe v. Wade, stigma