30 Days of Thinking about Roe V. Wade
It’s been one month and I’m still processing the overturn of Roe V. Wade
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This article is part of the column Overthinking Everything at She Explores Life.
I’d been preparing myself for the overturn of Roe V. Wade since the leak in May, but when the news alert flashed on my phone screen I didn’t want to believe it. I still don’t.
It’s been nearly a month now since SCOTUS struck down the landmark decision; since the first states with trigger laws ruled abortion bans or restrictions into effect. I’ve spent a lot of time since thinking, talking and listening to others about what this means for many of us. I’ve read countless articles; listened to numerous podcasts. But 30 days isn’t enough to process it all.
Even as I write this, I’m struggling to boil down all my feelings into words. There is so much I want to say and compiling it all into complete sentences is proving to be a more tedious task than expected. But here it goes.
Considering the implications — Initial thoughts
At the top of my list of concerns is how the overturn of Roe V. Wade will worsen health inequities and reduce access to reliable health care services and information.
In the U.S., sexual and reproductive healthcare is already difficult to navigate. Our healthcare system is full of vast inequities and new challenges continue to arise. Now, with the overturn of Roe, experts are predicting health outcomes to worsen, the rate of maternal mortality to further increase and healthcare deserts to grow even more desolate as providers move out of states where abortion laws are most restrictive.
These repercussions will hit marginalized communities the hardest, especially those in places where accessing abortion, or any form of healthcare for that matter, is already difficult. But the impacts will also be widespread.
What about women’s health?
As a woman and a person with a uterus, I gotta say that things really suck right now. I wish I could put that into a more poetic line, but honestly, I’m just too tired.
