ADPR: Op-Ed

The Woman’s Right To Choose Is On the Line. It’s My Responsibility To Do Something About It.

At a time in which the issue of abortion is so controversial, I feel as though it is my duty as a woman, a senator, and a Republican to advocate for its increased accessibility and legality. Such strides to suppress this right are not only inherently un-American, but also assume that the government has the authority to control women in both the body and the mind.

During my time as Maine’s senator and as a member of the Republican party, I have witnessed my fair share of those who remain close-minded to the topic of abortion. Reasons for this have been explained by deeply-ingrained religious philosophy, or even in strides to remain aligned with their associated party. Furthermore, as someone who works across party lines with interests in reaching universally beneficial outcomes, I can defend the issue of abortion without question.

It is for this reason I have joined with Planned Parenthood and Senator Dianne Feinstein from California in preserving the rights of women to choose whether or not they wish to carry out their pregnancies, as well as to ensure all women possess the capability of choosing safe abortions. If abortion were to be made illegal, the mental, physical and emotional harm could be catastrophic. For every 100,000 unsafe abortions completed in the United States, 30 of those women will die. Stemming from this, side effects can include hemorrhage, infection, sepsis, and internal organ injury. From an economic standpoint, women who are granted abortions experience better financial outcomes than those who are denied abortions and forced to carry out their pregnancies. Furthermore, women who are denied an abortion are three times more likely than women who receive abortions to fall below the federal poverty level two years after the birth of the child. Additionally, 76% of women who are refused abortions end up on unemployment benefits, compared with 44% of women who had the abortions.

It is important to note that abortions have reached the lowest frequency since the Center for Disease Control and Prevention began surveilling abortions in 1969. As of 2015, only 19% of pregnancies end up in abortion, and 91% of those abortions occur at or below the thirteenth week of gestation. The narrative that is being portrayed across the nation as “babies being ripped” from the womb is highly inaccurate and provides an exaggerated rendering of abortions and how they are performed. Only 1.3% of abortions occur after 21 weeks of gestation, with the vast majority of those abortions being conducted out of medical necessity for the mother or developing fetus. Apart from health, women will oftentimes choose to have an abortion as a result of financial instability, of lack of emotional preparedness, or of experiencing rapeIt is safe to say that most abortions occur before the embryo has developed, with special circumstances existing later in the terms. Both circumstances result in abortions which are carried out for good and thoughtful reason.

While I do agree that abortions should be refused in cases where the pregnancy is too far along and also poses no threat to the woman or child, the right to choose is imperative to women’s health. Making abortion illegal will ultimately endanger the wellbeing of women and likely lead them to pursue unsafe options elsewhere. It is in the best interest of these women to pursue legalized abortion and provide them the comfort and means necessary to make informed, safe decisions about their bodies.

Susan Collins –– Senator Collins serves as a senior United States Senator in Maine. On top of her work since she was elected in 1996, she also serves as the chairman of the Senate Aging Committee and the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee. Collins specializes in work pertaining to disaster response, healthcare, homeland security, and women’s rights.