access
There is currently a number of bills in congress hell-bent on disempowering women.
The “no taxpayer funding for abortion act” seeks to redefine rape, refusing government subsidized abortions for many cases of date and statutory rape. And while this redefinition of rape language was finally removed from the bill, there are still countless attacks on reproductive health.
The new budget for health and human services, if passed, would cut the federal family planning program for low income women that currently provide preventative care services such as birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and HIV testing. And then there’s the Pence Amendment, which would cut all financing for Planned Parenthood and restrict federal funding from any group or organization with any dialogue on abortion. The list continues.
It seems that Planned Parenthood in particular is being targeted for its association with abortion, even though only 3% of all its services are related to abortions. The organization’s emphasis on preventative care services is overshadowed by a general fear of abortion. In reality, these clinics are often the first place low-income women go for preventative care, like pap smears, STI testing, sexual health information, and family planning. It is clear that the current bills are not just targeting women, but those with the least means.
I find this all incredibly frustrating after reading so many court cases in class that show the slow, but definite, rise of a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body. Access to contraceptives eventually gave way to access to safe abortions for both adults and minors. And now, we are regressing. Preventative and reproductive health services are being denied, especially to those who have the misfortune of being young, poor, uninsured, or uneducated.
Reproductive health justice is important. It’s about making sure that all women have the knowledge and rights to make the best decisions about their bodies for themselves. It’s not about imposing one idea, or stigmatizing another. Ultimately, it’s about access — to information, to birth control, to options. And it’s in danger.
“The war on women” —NYT
“Officials consider requiring insurers to offer free contraceptives” - NYT
“Anti-abortion lawmakers back off crazy rape redefinition” — Huffington Post
