We wouldn’t dare control men’s bodies in the U.S.

Anyone with a uterus is a human being, our rights matter

Jessica Mills / Asst. Feature Editor / The USD Vista

Megan Valadez / Asst. Opinion Editor / The USD Vista

CW: (abortion/sexual assault)

In our world and current society, those with a uterus are often seen as second-class citizens. Most people with a uterus know what it feels like to have a period every month, have dreadful cramps, take birth control that messes with hormones and even give birth. Yet, they are expected to go on with their day as if nothing is happening. 

On Monday, May 2, 2022, Politico published a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that was written by Justice Samuel Alito in Feb. 2022, which would overturn long-standing abortion rights set by Roe v. Wade in 1973. 

According to NPR, draft opinions are written after a case is heard in order to explain the reasoning for the majority or minority decision of a case and does not represent a final decision by the Court. 

In the leaked draft opinion, Justice Alito said “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start” and that “it is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives” meaning that states would choose whether or not to regulate abortion. 

According to a Politico article published on May 2, 2022, Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Coney Barrett “had voted with Alito in the conference held among the justices after hearing oral arguments in December [2021].” Though this is just a first draft and not a final decision, it is still concerning that the rights of those able to become pregnant are being threatened. 

All we ask is, as citizens of this nation, that our right to make decisions about our own bodies is not stripped from us – abolishing Roe vs. Wade would do far more harm than good.

Abortion is not just a health issue. Whether we are willing to allow people capable of becoming pregnant to control their own bodies, for health or any other reason, it is an equity issue. It is a question of who we deem deserving of bodily autonomy and the freedom to reach their full potential. 

Instead of the government controlling the bodies of those assigned with a female reproductive system at birth, what if we were to just stop abortion at the source and make every man get a vasectomy. According to Stanford Health Care, the effectiveness of a vasectomy reversal is up to 90-95% and doesn’t come with long — lasting side effects like female birth control methods can. Those utilizing contraceptives, such as the pill, are at risk of blood clots, stroke, liver cancer and even heart attack. Those with an assigned female reproductive system at birth should not have to worry about these side effects. Instead, men should just be more responsible when it comes to having sex, and get a vasectomy. 

We don’t believe pro-life people want to hear this, though. The idea of regulating a man’s body makes people uncomfortable. But male governmental officials don’t seem to be uncomfortable with controlling the reproductive rights of those able to become pregnant. 

The Washington Post reported that recent studies on male contraceptive pills have halted, because side effects like weight gain and depression occurred. But people who take female contraception have put up with these symptoms for decades.

For those with a uterus, one consequence of not taking birth control is pregnancy. Whereas men don’t suffer any consequences if they don’t take birth control. It seems that female birth control can get away with more serious side effects than male birth control, because the consequences are greater for those able to give birth. 

In our opinion, strict anti-abortion legislation is all part of a strategic frontal assault by male government officials on those assigned with a female reproductive system at birth.

Those that are prolife argue that a fetus is a person starting at conception, therefore, having an abortion would be murder. We believe these laws are not about whether a fetus is a person – they are about ownership and control over the sexual autonomy of women and those able to become pregnant. 

Parenthood entails setting aside your wants, needs and desires for someone else. It requires financial obligations from birth through age 18, at a minimum, if one decides to keep the child. We believe the government is directly controlling the earning potential of anyone able to give birth, making it more difficult to escape poverty.

Simply put, abortion is a means of freedoom. The choice of if and when to have children is central to one’s future and autonomy. Pregnancy creates lifelong emotional and physical alterations to one’s body, especially if the conception occurs via assault. An important step for many survivors involves regaining their freedom. Coercing someone to carry an unwanted pregnancy, no matter the circumstances of conception, takes away any freedom they once had.

In our opinion, despite living in a country that claims to support the idea of freedom, our capitalist nation refuses to allow this. More births means more workers to enter the labor force, to fight in wars, to act as chess pieces for our country. For a state to have total power, it must control its people. Overturning Roe vs. Wade is an example of this dictatorial power our government can hold. 

We are tired of men following this built-in presumption that those able to become pregnant will bear nearly all of the reproductive burdens, including birth control and its side effects, even though reproducing takes two. Why should those able to give birth have to deal with all of this? Because men simply won’t. Because society has put the responsibility solely on those with a uterus, because they are the ones who have to deal with the consequences. If men aren’t willing to take responsibility and take measures to prevent impregnating a person with a uterus, they need to back off of our reproductive rights. 

This is about so much more than abortion. Agendered, trans, non-binary and all gender non-conforming and gender conforming individuals need safe reproductive health services, including abortion. Not only will this legislation make this process more difficult, we believe it furthers the outdated and harmful gender binary narrative. 

Justice Alito claimed that this decision only regards abortion. We believe this is a false and misleading statement.

Overturning Roe, rolls out the carpet for reversing other laws targeting human rights issues, especially the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. We think their fear is warranted. If the government can easily reverse reproductive health care, what’s stopping them from encroaching into other areas? 

In a PBS article, Laurie Betram Roberts, co-founder and Executive Director of the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund, explained that women of color in states with restrictive abortion laws often have limited health care and choices for effective birth control. Let’s be honest, overturning Roe doesn’t equally affect those that can become pregnant. The financially successful will still have access to the health care they need. Persons of color, minorities and those in and below the working class are marginally affected. 

If Roe is overturned, people may have to travel hundreds of miles to access safe health care. Those most affected include young and low-income individuals, many disproportionately of color. Some may already have children and not have access to childcare, time off work or travel costs. 

We believe this decision only makes it that much harder to escape poverty. CBS reported that the average cost for vaginal birth is over $21,000. The price increases significantly with birth complications and cesarean section delivery. The caregivers then have to pay for the child’s healthcare, food, clothing, education, etc. for a minimum of 18 years. 

For those who argue that those capable of pregnancy can put their child up for adoption, that decision often sends children into the foster care system, which seems to create more harm than good. Foster America, a group that focuses on child welfare, explained that those in the foster system are more likely to become homeless, suffer abuse, enter the criminal justice system and many never graduate highschool. The Children’s Defense Fund, an organization that advocates for federal policy improvement in the foster system, reported that the number of children in the system has increased in recent years, while the number of potential foster families has declined. The system is already overpopulated; adding more children will only increase these issues. 

Putting a child up for adoption does not guarantee that said child will find a healthy home. Child Welfare explained that costs of care and services for foster children were major obstacles for parents wanting to adopt, many unable to go through with the process. According to The Washington Post, foster children often have specific emotional and physical needs many families are not equipped to handle. Placing a child in a home that is unable to offer necessary care is not an effective alternative, and America’s current foster care system does not guarantee that level of care. 

CNN reported that the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate while giving birth. Forced birth in a country with these statistics, no paid maternity leave, no universal healthcare or subsidized child care and frequently inaccessible mental health care is completely outrageous. Perhaps male government officials should focus on larger problems at hand and step back from their control over our reproductive rights. 

Bottom line, we want others to stay out of ours and others’ reproductive rights. Having a uterus should not dictate the lack of rights one has in our country. You don’t have to like abortion, but dictating what others do with their body is cruel and unjustified