The Tsunami from Earthquake of Roe falling
With the earthquake of the overturning of Roe V Wade by US Supreme Court on June 24, 2022, many changes, intended and not, will cause not ripples but Tsunami waves across the nation and world. Here are just some of the possible waves.
This is not meant for fear-mongering but awareness of the many ways citizens and the government will have to step in to prevent these many downfalls of our economy and society.
Economic Downfall
Decreased labor force
Movement of Educated Women
Employers offer travel reimbursement
some two-thirds of college-educated workers have said they would not move to a state with extreme abortion restrictions
Travel and Medical Care $$ migrating to other countries for abortion
Wage gap will widen
The most on Black Womxn
Womxn will unwilling have children sooner in their career/more than planned
Womxn will have to drop out of high school/college putting them behind in their earning power
Decreased financial power for mothers to care for their children
Education
Youth Pregnancy rates will soar= High school & College dropout rates will too
College enrollment of womxn will decrease
Less educated workforce
Less autonomy from men/partners
Medical & Deaths
Fertility-huge legal challenges since they are based on Roe and life "beginning at fertilization" means you'd have to somehow use/become pregnant with every fertilized egg
“What happens to their embryos? Can they discard them, freeze them, or transfer them?"
“The passage of fetal “personhood” laws and the legal fights over their constitutionality probably would go on for years, experts say. So Roe’s potential reversal is unlikely to have an immediate effect on assisted reproduction, which plays a role in the births of 55,000 babies each year, or 2 percent of all births in the United States.
Egg Freezing
IVA/IVF
Laws may limit number of eggs can transfer per cycle
May blame them for miscarriage
Have to terminate unsuccessful/too many
Increase cost and wait time in states that don’t have restrictions (already backlog bc of pandemic)
Many patients undergoing fertility treatments tend to have complex medical needs that may also put them at higher risk of needing to terminate a pregnancy.
3 States:
Alabama has added language to its law that makes it clear eggs fertilized in a laboratory for the purpose of IVF are excluded from the state’s ban.
Louisiana advanced a bill last week seeking to make abortion equivalent to homicide and defining human life as starting from the moment of fertilization.
In Nebraska, lawmakers are considering a bill that the American Civil Liberties Union said may create barriers for people struggling with infertility because of the ambiguity of the wording regarding when life begins.
Surrogacy
Increased death/serious illness from unsafe pregnancies that can no longer be safely termination
Ectopic pregnancies (implant in fallopian tubes- nonviable and very dangerous can burst organs)
Countless medical conditions pregnant person can develop while pregnant that would make it difficult/life threatening to continue pregnancy
Nonviable pregnancy- fetus will feel much more pain and die if pregnancy continues (and likely
Those who have miscarried many times/had serious complications in the past
Doctors disengaging from OB/GYN out of fear
Less doctors available in already huge shortage
Doctors afraid to offer life-saving care in emergencies if in gray area of ever changing laws/policies
Doctors & their families life’s threatened
Death threats
Prosecution
Contraceptives
Plan B
will be even harder to get or illegal= huge increase in unwanted pregnancies, especially for students assaulted/raped (even if they are brought to the ER)
If given wrong Plan B for size of pregnant person, it won’t work, will result in pregnancy
Regular contraceptives (pill, IUD, patch etc) are likely to become more expensive, more regulated/less available with restrictive laws
Medications
Mifepristone and Misoprostol- used together for safe, self-managed abortions will be outlawed in some states especially as mail order-
they are both used alone for chronic illnesses so those who take either who are house-bound due to disability/COVID won’t have access to their meds
Pregnant people will try other meds/natural remedies they hear about but likely aren’t tested/won’t be safe for some people resulting in likely unsuccessful termination and hospitalizations/long lasting side effects on mother and fetus
Increased deaths and injuries/illnesses from unsafe abortions
Increased strain/Collapse of already broken overrun systems:
Childcare
Schools
Womens and childrens healthcare
Foster Care system
Crime
Crime rate increase- there was big decrease as a result of Roe being inacted
Increased suicide rates
Increased domestic violence- the time a person is pregnant is the second most dangerous/deadliest time in an abusive relationship (second only to actively fleeing relationship)
Kill/seriously injure to end pregnancy since abortion isn’t an option
Rape &/or compromise birth control to create pregnancy as excuse to keep victim in relationship/legally bound through child
This will be especially true in places like Missouri, where a pregnant person cannot get a divorce
Increased child abuse towards children who weren't wanted who grow up into a generation of broken adults
International
Poor relations with pro-choice countries
Conservative countries use USA as example/excuse to go backward in their abortion policy as well
What other consequences can you think of? For those who have had restrictive abortion bans in your state for some time, what have you seen?
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