“Your Body My Choice”: A Look into Reproductive Rights and Abortion
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of rape
On the 24th of June 2022, Roe v Wade, which was the landmark decision that affirmed the constitutional rights to abortion, was officially overturned by the US Supreme Court. This sent a huge wave of shock not only throughout the country but also worldwide. All over social media it seems like everyone is talking about this sudden decision by the Supreme Court of the United States. This really demonstrates the impact this court ruling has on people globally despite this happening in the United States of America. Although most Americans — 64% of them — are opposed to overturning Roe v Wade, the majority vote of the Supreme Court unfortunately holds the power to this decision. How does it make sense that the fate of half of the population in America lies in the hands of these 9 individuals alone?
The landmark decision of Roe v Wade which occurred almost 50 years ago has recently been put on the spotlight due to the overturning by the Supreme Court of the United States of America. It began in 1970 where a woman who went by the name “Jane Roe” instituted federal action against Henry Wade, who was the district attorney of Dallas county, Texas where Roe resided. Roe brought a class action towards the constitutionality of the Texas criminal abortion law. This law banned procured or attempted abortion, except for medical reasons which protect the lives of the mothers. Now that Roe v Wade is being overturned, it is surreal to think women in 1973 have more rights to access abortion compared to now as almost half of the states have banned abortion or are under the threat of banning it.
What happens when you ban abortion?
By taking away accessible abortion, it violates basic human rights, especially towards women. Banning access to abortion does not eradicate it but it could lead to illegal ones which are unsafe and could potentially risk the lives of many people. Countries with stricter abortion laws have a significantly higher abortion rate compared to countries where abortion is legal and done safely. According to the World Health Organization, people who do not have safe accessible abortion often resort to unsafe ones. People will somehow find a way to perform abortions illegally instead of carrying the pregnancy to full term, whether it be doing it at home or having intentional miscarriages. This is the reality of the trauma and suffering these people have to go through just because they are not allowed to have rights over their own body.
Women’s bodies are still being governed by authorities in some countries, now the United States of America included. It is sad that for whatever freedom the USA stands for, the rights for women to choose what happens to their body don’t seem to be that high up their priority.
Impacts on Women
Every year, around 4.7 to 13.7% of maternal deaths can be traced back to unsafe abortions and these do not include the ones which are undocumented. Even if unsafe abortions do not lead to death, it still poses a threat towards the physical health of the women including incomplete abortion, haemorrhage, infections and so on.
Mental health can also be affected as it can cause distress to the women and not to mention how traumatic unsafe abortions could be. Everyone responds differently after abortions in general; some people may go through a series of emotions such as grief, feeling depressed and just finding it hard to cope in general. One reason that contributes to this could be the perceived stigma that abortions have specifically in countries where abortion is illegal. The fear of being ostracised by others could constantly be circulating in the minds of people who got their abortions in hiding. Due to this, they might face mental health issues such as depression as a result of the potential trauma and aftermath of getting an abortion in a society that does not accept it.
The aftermath of limiting accessible abortion could severely impact the lives of many women and children too. People who are not financially stable or in poverty might not be able to actually support children; since they are unable to have an abortion, they are forced to carry their pregnancy to full term and eventually give birth to a child they never wanted in the first place.
Impacts on Children
Sure, putting up the child for adoption could be a solution, but there are already so many children who are going through the adoption process and a lot of them do not even get adopted before they become adults. This process can put much mental stress and trauma to these children as a result of unwanted pregnancy such that long term effects such as cognitive delay and behavioural problems could arise. For example, they could turn to substance use at a young age due to these behavioural problems.
Children born due to unwanted pregnancy could also have a hard time bonding with their mothers which can cause a poor relationship with their parents even all the way through adulthood. In severe cases, these children could be brought up in an abusive and negligent environment.
These poor environment coils seriously take a toll on the children. They could have a hard time learning in school causing a lack of achievement in their education. They may also be easily influenced by others and seek attention from peers, often resorting to desperate measures to find the love and approval that they do not receive at home. Low employment rate could be the result as these kids may not have the full knowledge and skills to get a job. Eventually the cycle could continue as low employment rates could lead to people facing poverty.
Abortion Rights in Malaysia
Across the globe, abortion laws vary where some are completely legal, some with some restrictions and others which are illegal under all circumstances. In Malaysia, abortion is permitted in order to save a women’s life and to preserve her physical and mental health. Voluntary abortions on the other hand are illegal. However, the law is sort of ambiguous and can be interpreted differently.
Healthcare professionals who are biased and project their personal beliefs onto others might not perform an abortion on women who need it. The stage of pregnancy where abortion can be performed is also unclear, though according to the Guideline on Termination of Pregnancy published by the Ministry of Health Malaysia in 2012, it is implied that abortion can be performed when the embryo or fetus is unable to survive on its own which is about 500gms or 22 weeks of gestation.There still is not a clear answer to women who are more than 22 weeks pregnant and face potential danger due to the pregnancy.
In other circumstances such as rape vicitims and fetal impairment, the right to abortion is still unfortunately illegal in Malaysia. Under section 315 of the penal code, it states “an act done with intent to prevent a child being born alive or to cause it to die after birth” is an offence “unless it is for the purpose of saving the life of the mother.” It seems that abortion is only legal if it poses a threat towards the health of the women in Malaysia. Women in Malaysia sadly do not have the right to choose for themselves even if extreme circumstances such as rape.
Even though abortion is legal under some exceptions, many Malaysians still struggle to access clear and concise information on abortion due to the ambiguity of the law. Many other factors such as lack of sex education, poor treatment towards women with unintentional pregnancies that derived from misogynistic views and the stigma behind sex before marriage also contribute to this.
An alarming amount of women are still not aware of the grounds for abortion in Malaysia according to a survey done by the Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia. This is why many private hospitals and clinics offer abortions on the down low but they would cost a hefty amount. Hence many are still unable to access safe abotion as not everyone is financially capable to afford one.
Double Standards of Birth Control
Birth control is a necessary item in many lives. Not only does it prevents pregnancy, it can also stop sexually transmitted diseases from spreading, especially for those who are sexually active. Married couples also need birth control as it helps with family planning and prevent any unwanted pregnancies. Families who are not financially capable of taking care of several children will then use birth control as a way to prevent births that are not in their capacity to care for.
Nowadays most adults and some teenagers use some kind of birth control when they are sexually active, even for same sex couples. According to Planned Parenthood, there are a total of 18 birth control methods.The most common type of birth control most people are familiar with and use would probably be condoms and birth control pills. They are more accessible and easier to use as compared to the alternatives.
Notably, more than half of these methods such as IUDs, birth control pills and birth control implants require the female to go through with it (in regards to heterosexual relationships). The males usually just use methods such as condoms and the withdrawal method which are both not 100% effective. In other words, there seems to be more emphasis on ensuring women do not get impregnated unintentionally although the men are quite literally half of the process too.
Not to mention the long list of risks and side effects that birth control pills incur, putting the physical and even mental health of women who consume the pills at danger. These risks include heart attacks and blood clots; additionally, minor things like bloating and feeling nauseous can affect a woman’s day to day life. Therefore, many women are extra cautious due to these side effects of birth control pills.
As for men, there are only two contraceptive methods which are condoms and a vasectomy. Why is it that males do not have any contraceptive pills at the moment whereas female birth control pills have been on the market for a considerable amount of time? Even if it is argued that they have yet to find a safe and effective way of male contraceptive pills, why do female birth control pills come with so many side effects that could pose a threat to the health of a woman? Is the well-being of women not as important?
Birth control through surgical procedures such as vasectomies and tubal ligations are also common methods used especially for married couples. Both can help prevent embryos from forming and are effective ways of family planning. Though that being said, the experience for both these procedures can be very different. For instance, a woman seeking to get her tubes tied could be asked to get her husband’s consent by some healthcare institutions although she herself is a consenting adult. Some healthcare professionals might be hesitant to perform tubal ligation as they think women might regret it later in life as it is irreversible. This perpetuates the idea that women’s bodies are still being governed by others, men in particular. At the end of the day, it is up to personal choices and what each individual thinks works best for them. Choosing not to reproduce is a choice, not everyone wants to adhere to societal standards of having a child.
Why should what a woman do to her own body cause such a huge debate? A woman’s existence is not solely for the purpose of reproduction, no one should have an opinion over what she does to her own body and whether she should have kids or not. We should be able to make choices for ourselves without anyone getting in the way.
In 2022, women all over the world still do not have full body autonomy over their own bodies. The United States, which was seen as a progressive country by others before, is struggling to uphold this reputation as the rights of many people with uteruses are being stripped away. The right to abortion is a right that should be protected. It is absurd to see people marching on the streets and protesting to keep this right that is being taken away by these few selfish individuals who expect everyone to conform to their own personal beliefs and values.
[Written By: Chow Anne Rose. Edited By: Teoh Jin]
