Roe v. Wade was a Supreme Court case where in 1973 it was ruled that the constitution protects a woman’s right to have an abortion in any state. Now, for the first time in United States history, there is a chance that Roe v. Wade may be overturned, returning the decision of abortion legality to individual states.

The thought of not only making abortion illegal in some states, but also opening a door to reexamine Supreme Court cases that protect rights enlisted in the constitution is beyond frightening. The fight for women’s rights is never ending, and as soon as we finally make a step forward as a country, something inevitably comes along for us to take a giant leap backwards. 

The right to choose whether or not to follow through with a pregnancy should be a woman’s and hers alone. It is constantly the decision of a bunch of ignorant men to try to take away decisions from women.

There are many cases in which a woman may decide to get an abortion. Being not financially stable, being very young, not feeling ready, having a pregnancy produced of incest or rape, and having health compromised by pregnancy for the mother or fetus are some of the reasons in which a woman may choose to not give birth.

People who disagree with abortion, do not have to get one. They are allowed to believe that it is wrong, but that opinion should not affect the ability for other women to decide what is best for them. 

Another consequence of abortion being banned in some states would be children subjected to the faulty adoption and foster care systems in the US where children are stuck in foster care or homes for the entirety of their adolescent lives. If abortion isn’t an option, giving a child up to the system needs to be an option that mothers can feel safe about.

In times when abortion was not legal, abortions did not stop, safe ones did. Women would go to uncertified doctors to perform abortions, or even attempt to terminate the pregnancy themselves. To many women who are not  ready for pregnancy for whatever reason, an unsafe and illegal abortion seems a better option than following through with the pregnancy.

There are so many reasons for abortion to remain legal in every state. Even if you disagree with abortion specifically, it’s important to understand the initial reason for its legalization was the fact that the constitution protects privacy and the right to make medical decisions for oneself.

Roe v. Wade being overturned would be catastrophic for every woman and should instill fear in every American that their personal rights protected by the constitution could be stripped away. If you wouldn’t want your own rights taken away, if you’ve ever wished people understood the background behind any one of your decisions, if you’ve ever felt out of control of your own life or body, or any number of reasons, then you should not judge a woman for getting an abortion, and you certainly should not  support her decision to do so being taken away.