“Make Live and Let Die” -Michel Foucault
Who Gets To Live According to the Hyde Amendment?
Who is the government making live and let die?
No one can deny that the discussion of women’s health and their right to choose has become a hot topic nowadays. (Although, it’s also been a hot topic in history). In the creation of the Hyde Amendment, the right to choose became virtually meaningless for poor women and women of color by depriving it from their Medicaid coverage.
My argument is as stated: Women who have the means to get an abortion, to pursue opportunities in life are the ones we are letting “live” and poor women and women of color are the ones we are letting “let die.”
Since women of color, immigrants, poor women, and young girls are the ones who are disproportionately affected since they are the ones who rely on Medicaid. Their source of health coverage is Medicaid but when that health coverage is being used to penalize these specific groups of women, the government is is not serving anyone.
It is also important to mention the Target Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws when discussing women’s right to choose. Since Planned Parenthood is one of the most well-known health care facilities that perform abortions, along with many other services that outnumber the of abortion procedures, I would like to talk about how Planned Parenthood is affected in all this injustice.
Who is the Hyde Amendment really affecting?
TRAP laws were designed to close down abortion clinics rather than help women make potentially the most difficult decision of their lives. With that said, abortions have always been a difficult procedure to get advice and care on for women for years. However, the Hyde Amendment completely skews on who demographic of women can get the health care and services. Rich, white women are not the ones who rely on Medicaid; they are not the ones relying on clinics such as Planned Parenthood to provide them an opportunity to live the life they want to live. Colored women, female students, poor women, women with no where else to go, these are the women who need Medicaid and everything it is supposed to provide, even family planning and abortions, if that is what they wish to have. From women of the ages 20–24, low-income women, sexually active that may or may not have used birth control, who rely on government resources, are the ones who are suffering because of this amendment. The inaccessibility and difficulties they have to go through that harm their health, their future, and mobility, are only harming the women who need it the most.
Reproductive rights are not a right we should have to fight for; it should be our born right. Repealing the Hyde Amendment will restore this right and liberty, to choose what every and any woman may choose to do with her own body, despite their socioeconomic status, skin color, or where they live. In general, the amount of resources available to women should be easily accessible. It should not matter the neighborhood they live in, if they live in America, we as a country should be able to do what we stand for, life liberty and justice, and provide each person residing in America the care that we believe we stand for in this country.
What are they affects?
When we are talking about how these low-income women who have these reproductive rights being stripped away by their own country, we are not just talking about abortion procedures. When talking about reproductive rights, we mean sexual transmitted disease testing and treatment, Pap smears, pregnancy tests, cancer screenings, contraception related services, sexual education, birth control, and prenatal care.
Lastly, is the Hyde Amendment still in affect and why?
Yes. The Hyde Amendment is still preventing low-income women from receiving the health care they have a right to. There are 17 non-discriminatory states that do extend their state funds to abortion services; however, this means that 33 others states, women in almost 2/3 of the United States, are being deprived of their right to choose and are being harmed in the most unjust way. I believe that these women are still being unfairly treated because of their race and their position of weakness, as seen by the government. To the government, women who rely and need the resources provided by the government are not people who they government can get something back from. Unfortunately, I think they are targeting women of color and immigrants. The people who are here to strive for a better life, the reason they came here to America, and are living in poorer communities, are the ones that America does not want to help, as proven by the activation of the Hyde Amendment.
The bottom line is that government should not be interfering in women’s health services, they should be encouraging and assisting in any way possible to keep the women in their country healthy. No women, despite her color, insurance, or income should be denied, or have to struggle, to get health care services. Stop interfering with our right to choose and let us live! Not die!
