Are you pro-life or do you believe in basic human rights? Abortion is a right individuals have to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

The reasons why those who chose to have an abortion vary and range from personal reasons, financial situations, or even unwanted pregnancy. Forcing them to carry full term if they do not wish to can lead to many mental and physiological problems.

Despite abortions laws being legal since 1973, nationwide pro-life protests are being designed to discredit people who choose to have an abortion and to limit access to abortion.

Pro-life protesters often stakeout at Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit organization founded in 1916 that provides STD testing and treatment, birth control, well-woman exams, cancer screening and prevention, abortions, hormone therapy, infertility services, and general health care in addition to abortions. They were the first health center to provide safe abortions to the public, and they have been since 1973.

The pro-life protesters hold signs, wave posters, and pass out flyers to try and convey their message. They do this to all patients, regardless of the appointment. Their goal is to convince everyone entering Planned Parenthood that abortions are immoral and should be made illegal once again. 

Planned Parenthood does its best to keep protesters at bay, ensuring patients that they are in contact with the police if anything goes wrong. However, it is legal for protesters to stand outside of these healthcare facilities as long as they don’t break any laws or trespass. These protesters are allowed to stay on the public sidewalks and hold peaceful protests. To further protect patients and health providers the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (F.A.C.E) was passed in 1994. This act states that protesters cannot interfere with any individual getting or providing healthcare services. Planned Parenthood encourages people who enter these facilities to do their best to ignore protesters.

Some US states are fighting to stop abortions from being made illegal. The Texas Heartbeat Act is a current measure to make abortions illegal. This act makes abortions illegal after about six weeks or when a fetus’s heartbeat starts. On average it takes 2-3 weeks for a woman to notice she may be pregnant and, for some, it may take up to a few months. The threat this poses is people may have not even realized they are pregnant or they do not have enough time to decide to have an abortion or to carry to full term. 

These rights are getting stripped away by people who don’t even understand how important it is to keep abortions legal. It’s not an easy decision to make to get one, but it’s an option that needs to stay open for people. These reasons can range from being a victim of rape who does not feel the capability to carry the weight of a baby and or to raise it under these violent circumstances, to gender dysphoria. Trans men should not be required to carry a baby to term if it makes them feel dysphoric and insecure with their gender identity. An overarching reason is a person may not be able to provide financially for a child. Forcing an individual to carry a child they physically, mentally, and emotionally provide for sets these people up for failure. These decisions being made to stop abortions impact basic human rights and access to healthcare.

Abortions will continue regardless of what the law says. Injury and death are more likely to occur with unsafe abortion. Keeping abortions legal will prevent further injury and death to those who have one. The simple fact is, taking away abortions is the equivalent of taking away human rights. Individuals should have the right to choose if they want an abortion or not. It is no one else’s right to make that decision for them and for their body.