Abortion Restrictions Amid a Politicized Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has rekindled the flames of a longheld Pro-life and Pro-choice debate. States such as Ohio, Mississippi, and Texas are restricting abortions, deeming the service “non-essential.” Yet, the states’ claims are baseless and reflect a hidden Republican agenda.
By calling abortion “non-essential,” states ignore vast amounts of research that suggest that a delay of even 30 days could result in an abortion shifting from a safe procedure to one that is more costly and risky. Amy Hagstrom Miller, president of Whole Woman’s Health, capitalized on the importance of maximizing the accessibility of medical care during a public health crisis.
“Emergency actions during a global pandemic should advance health and safety for us all, not force people to delay much-needed care and possibly exacerbate their health situations by doing so,” Miller said. Eight mainstream medical associations also issued a joint statement opposing the restrictions on abortion.
“To the extent that hospital systems or ambulatory surgical facilities are categorizing procedures that can be delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, abortion should not be categorized as such a procedure. Abortion is an essential component of comprehensive health care. It is also a time-sensitive service for which a delay of several weeks, or in some cases days, may increase the risks or potentially make it completely inaccessible. The consequences of being unable to obtain an abortion profoundly impact a person’s life, health, and well-being,” the statement wrote.
Further, Republican governors are citing critical shortages in medical supplies as the rationale behind shutting down various abortion clinics. Violating the governor's orders in Texas could result in up to $1,000 of jail fines or 180 days of imprisonment. Yet, the spread of the virus ought not mean that all other medical services should stop, such as removal of a ruptured appendix. COVID-19 does not trump all other medical needs. Given the repercussions of a delay in abortion, restricting the procedure is unwarranted and simply reflects a childish Republican need to politicize a pandemic. Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president of Planned Parenthood, expressed frustration over various officials’ recklessness.
“A public health emergency is not the time to play politics. Delays or additional barriers to care can make it more difficult or even impossible for some patients to access safe, legal abortion,” Johnson said.
Anti-abortion groups aligned with the Trump administration are taking actions similar to Ohio and Texas by advocating for a federal shutdown of clinics. On Tuesday, March 24, 52 anti-abortion advocacy groups signed a letter addressed to the US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar. Among the pro-life advocacy groups were the Susan B. Anthony List, National Right to Life, and Priests for Life. The letter detailed Planned Parenthood’s “manipulation” of people’s fear for the organization’s own gain.
“In acts of manifest fearmongering and self-interest, they [Planned Parenthood] are exploiting the anxiety of women and couples by continuing to promote abortion in communities across the country,” the letter wrote.
The letter claims that abortion clinics are mistaken in their priorities as the virus spreads.
“While we are in a hectic race to save lives, Planned Parenthood and other powers in the abortion industry remain insistent on taking the lives of innocent unborn children.”
The letter’s antagonization of Pro-choice organizations as self-interested and responsible for taking lives both homogenizes and misunderstands reasons for abortion. Abortion is not simply a “heat-of-the moment” decision that is based on people’s fear during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the letter is simply reiterating arguments brought up in a longheld controversy surrounding abortion, which means nothing about the pandemic justifies making abortion more inacessible than it already is in some states.
With wellbeing at stake, bringing in a contested issue that is not even tangentially related to the virus itself simply amplifies suffering. This ought to be a time where the nation works in solidarity and puts political differences aside.
by CHRISTINA LI