Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names.
Pulling No Punches on Abortion
Reading the leaked draft opinion felt like a punch in the uterus (“Historic ‘Breach’ Puts Abortion Rights Supporters and Opponents on Alert for Upcoming Earthquake,” May 3). They’re basically saying the Constitution doesn’t grant people with uteruses the “liberty” to choose abortion for ourselves, meaning these justices believe the Constitution doesn’t grant us bodily autonomy. I’m not surprised since this seems to be the road conservatives have been paving. You don’t have to make abortion illegal if you make it totally inaccessible, as so many states have.
As a future reproductive health care provider, I’m ready to metaphorically punch back. I’m energized to find solutions that give access to abortion to all people. As we have seen with the pandemic, the people who will be most affected are low-income people of color, who have historically been medically disenfranchised.
We need collaboration from many different groups. We need pharmacists to help get medication for those who can’t easily access abortion care. We need providers who will travel or use telemedicine to provide abortion care for folks. We need attorneys to provide legal representation and advice to folks living in states with anti-abortion legislation. And, we need each other. This fight has just begun and, together, we will keep fighting; not just for our sake, but for our children’s, their children’s, and that of every future generation to come.
— C …