Politics and Pregnancies

Recently, on June 24th, 2022, the Supreme Court voted to remove the laws set by Roe v. Wade, which protected a woman’s right to a safe and legal abortion. Roe v. Wade allowed woman to legally get abortions until the fetus reached viability. Now that the right to an abortion has been taken away by the Supreme Court, abortion laws will differ based on state regulations.

What is an abortion? An abortion is a medical procedure that terminates a pregnancy by removing the embryo or fetus. This is different from a miscarriage, which occurs without any medical intervention. Abortions have been performed for over a hundred years and have been legal since 1973. Abortions are performed when women have an unwanted pregnancy or due to health risks.

Some cases in which abortions are medically necessary are during an ectopic pregnancy or a tubal pregnancy, when the egg fertilizes outside of the uterus in a fallopian tube and is unable to reach viability. Ectopic pregnancies can serve as a risk to the mother’s life if the fallopian tube bursts open. An abortion is medically necessary to protect the health of the mother, since the pregnancy will not continue more than a few weeks.

Other circumstances when abortions are medically necessary are when mothers have preexisting conditions like heart disease, chronic kidney disease, recent strokes, or high blood pressure. Health conditions can also arise during pregnancy, like depression or anxiety and hyperemesis gravidarum, which is extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy that often results in dehydration or hospitalization.

Abortions have been at the forefront of current medical issues for a while now. Opinions about abortions differ due to different political stances and personal values. It is important to consider the medical necessity of abortions when the mother’s life is at risk.