Abortion is Healthcare
As a reproductive health provider, I've seen firsthand how abortion is an essential part of comprehensive healthcare. It's not a political issue, it's a medical one - and one that is critical to protecting the health and wellbeing of people who can become pregnant. Let me be clear - abortion is healthcare. Full stop. It's a safe, common medical procedure that allows people to make deeply personal decisions about their own bodies and futures. And it's a right that has been protected in this country for nearly 50 years, until the devastating overturning of Roe v. Wade. I know this topic is incredibly sensitive and triggering for many. Abortion invokes strong feelings about ethics, morality, and religious beliefs. But as a doctor, I have to set those personal views aside and focus on the medical realities. And the medical reality is that abortion is an essential part of reproductive healthcare.
“Pregnancy is not a neutral state.”
Pregnancy comes with serious health risks, both physical and mental. Complications like preeclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, and maternal mortality are very real dangers that people face when they become pregnant. And in some cases, abortion is the only way to save the life of the pregnant person. I've treated patients who have faced these life-threatening complications. Patients who, without access to safe, legal abortion, would have died. Patients who were forced to carry pregnancies that were not viable, subjecting them to unimaginable trauma and suffering. Patients who, because of restrictive laws, had to wait until they were critically ill before they could receive the care they needed. This is not hypothetical. This is the reality that people are facing in states with severe abortion restrictions. And it's a reality that will only get worse as more states move to ban or severely limit access to abortion.
”It's not a political stance, it's a medical fact.”
Beyond the immediate medical necessity, abortion is also essential for people's overall physical and mental health. The ability to control if and when you become a parent is fundamental to your wellbeing. Forcing someone to carry a pregnancy to term against their will can have devastating consequences - from postpartum depression to suicidal ideation. I've seen patients struggle with the trauma of being denied the ability to make this deeply personal decision. Patients who were forced to carry pregnancies that were the result of rape or incest. Patients who received devastating news about fetal abnormalities incompatible with life. Patients who simply were not ready to become parents. The anguish and grief they've experienced is unimaginable. And let's be clear - abortion restrictions don't stop abortions, they just make them less safe. When people are denied access to legal, regulated abortion care, they are forced to seek out dangerous, back-alley alternatives. This puts their health and lives at serious risk. So when I say that abortion is healthcare, I mean it with every fiber of my being.
“This isn't about politics or religion.”
Abortion is an essential part of comprehensive reproductive care, and denying people access to it is a grave threat to their health and wellbeing. This is why I, and so many of my colleagues in the medical community, are sounding the alarm. We've seen the devastating consequences of abortion restrictions, and we know that the situation is only going to get worse. That's why we're fighting tooth and nail to protect this fundamental right. Because at the end of the day, this isn't about politics or religion. It's about ensuring that everyone has access to the healthcare they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives. And that includes the right to safe, legal abortion.
