Photo courtesy of Colin Lloyd

The topic of abortion has always been a hot-button issue in the U.S., and after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the button has gotten even hotter. But even with the overturning of this case, it is still important that people have the right to choose for themselves whether or not to have an abortion.

There are plenty of reasons people may choose to have an abortion. They may not be able to afford to care for a child or health concerns pose a risk to the pregnant person or child, and they may have other obligations, such as university or work that take precedent. Additionally, they may just not want to have a child.

As common as giving birth is, according to both Forbes and Investopedia, the average cost of giving birth in a hospital is about $18,865. The average out-of-pocket cost, with insurance, is around $3,000. Planned Parenthood states that the average abortion cost depends on the trimester, but the lowest price is $600 and highest is $2,000. According to the CDC, most abortions take place in the first trimester, which is also when the cost of an abortion is at its lowest. If the person cannot afford to give birth, they might be able to afford an abortion, in which case it is better to abort rather than have a child they cannot financially care for. 

Abortion is also, in many cases, a medical necessity. While uncommon, an ectopic pregnancy may cause serious health risks that can result in death if the pregnancy is not terminated. Medical technology has made pregnancies easier for many people, but it still isn’t perfect. According to the CDC, the maternal mortality rate in 2021 was 32.9% and ended in the death of the parent.

If a fetus is not viable but will not cause any harm to the person carrying it, some may still opt to carry the fetus to term, even if they know it will not make it. That’s completely within their rights to do so. In the same vein, being pregnant takes a large toll on the body, and some people may not want to go through that; especially if they know that the fetus won’t survive. It would be unfair to force the person in the first scenario, who wants to carry their fetus, to have an abortion in the same way that it would be unfair to prevent someone who doesn’t want to carry their fetus from having an abortion. 

Many people choose not to have an abortion because they feel it is against their religion, and that’s fine – it’s their choice. The argument that abortion should be banned nationwide due to religious reasoning, however, makes key points about both America and religion.

Firstly, the constitution states that America cannot have national religion nor may it prohibit the free exercise thereof. According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, six out of 10 Americans believe America should not be a Christian nation. Not everyone follows the same religion, and not every religion is against abortion. Secondly, just because your religion says you shouldn’t have an abortion doesn’t mean someone else shouldn’t. The rules of your religion are for you and others who follow it, not for those who don’t.

Another common argument against abortion is that the fetus has a life. Well, so does the parent. The parent already has their own life and obligations to consider, and in some cases where a parent is unable to terminate a pregnancy, their own life or safety could be in danger.

It isn’t as simple as telling someone not to have sex. That’s an unfair demand, and even if multiple contraception steps are taken, a pregnancy can still occur. Not to mention, factors such as rape can cause a person to become pregnant against their will.

Most importantly, banning legal abortion won’t stop abortion. It will just result in people seeking out unsafe treatment options. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder calculated a 24% increase in maternal mortality if there were to be a nationwide abortion ban.

Whether against abortions or not, the decision isn’t yours to make for the entire nation. The idea of choice in itself is giving people the right to have an abortion if they want, and if they don’t believe in it, or don’t want to, then they don’t have to.