On Sept. 1 2021, the state of Texas passed a law that took away the right for any woman to get an abortion, ultimately making women go backward in time with not having a choice with their own bodies.

According to the Oregon Public Broadcasting, the law states that no woman can get an abortion if there is a detectable fetal heartbeat, which tends to be around six weeks of pregnancy. 

The law also allows for private citizens the ability to sue an abortion provider that they believe in doing the practices or anyone who is helping a woman get access to an abortion.

Women who face pregnancy due to rape or incest are not an exception either, only those who have a medical emergency. 

Overall, Texas’ abortion ban is an attack on a women’s body and her freedom of choice, ultimately making her have no other option besides becoming a mother.

According to CNN, the Texas Health and Human Services found that nearly 54,000 abortions were performed in 2020 alone and that 85% happen after six weeks.

Typically most women don’t even know that they are pregnant at that time.

Now that the ban has been passed fewer abortions will be able to happen as most women won’t have that option.

Most women who do end up having abortions tend to be people of color, young adults and people who are not finanically well off enough to care for another human.

A study that was published by the American Journal of Public Health, shows that Black women have the highest abortion rate with 27 for every 1,000 women, followed by Hispanics with the rate of 18 for every 1,000 women. While there are only 10 for every 1,000 white women.

Without having means of an abortion clinic and practically being forced to go on with the pregnancy, these women will end up going into more poverty than they might already be experiencing.

As of now, Blacks and Hispanics are also high in poverty with a rate being around 17-19.5%, while White and non-Hispanics tend to be at a rate of 8.2%, according to the Census Bureau.

I could only see those numbers being raised higher when women from Texas have to go through with the pregnancy.

It is only those few who have the money and time to go out of state to get an abortion, that can escape that possibility.

There is also a high possibility that if women that are in poverty still want an abortion, they might go to extreme measures that can put their own health in danger.

How is that not an attack on women?

As more women have babies they cannot take care of or if that baby reminds them of the trauma they went through, such as rape or incest, it can leave the woman to abandon the child or place the child for adoption or foster care.

How is it fair that women who didn’t even consent to sex, no longer have control of their bodies or lives once again?

Some might know from experience, that being a part of the system can be a dreadful time with some faculties not being up to standard or the overall feeling that you don’t feel wanted, which can be scarring to a child.

According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, if the mother decides to keep the baby, it can cause the child to have lower development as they are being neglected. 

That counts as there not being enough money to buy the baby food, clothing, and diapers.

The woman can also have poor maternal bonding when it comes to their baby because they didn’t want the baby in the first place.

What good will having more babies do when they are unwanted?

Despite this, supporters of the abortion ban are still in high spirits and are even waiting for more states to adapt this same law.

Some supporters, who spoke with ABC, say this ban will make sure more babies’ lives are not taken.

While others say that it is not an attack on women, but an attack on the people making money off of abortions.

That people included in making money off abortions are doctors, nurses, and anyone who helps perform the abortion for the patient.

A main target for the anti abortion group, Texas Right to Life, is Planned Parenthood since it is one of the main organizations to offer abortions.

Even going as far as attempting to sue Planned Parenthood, but the action was blocked by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble, according to Rolling Stone.

In an Atlantic article, John Seago, the legislative director of Texas Right to Life, said that women were not the one to blame but rather the doctors who are taking a life and making a living off it.

Under the Texas law, people who want to help women have control of our bodies are also at risk of being criminalized too.

This allows for a bounty hunter atmosphere, originally against fugitives or criminals, that is now against any women who is suspicious of seeking abortions.

Both reasons for why this abortion law is supposedly good, do not hold up.

Texas having this ban on abortion or in other words, attacking the right that women should have over their own bodies, will do nothing good besides more harm.

The only difference this time is that it is legal. 

In the end, Texas made this law, but the U.S. Supreme Court had allowed for the law to go into effect, by not stopping the process, despite it being unconstitutional.

If this right was taken from women so easily, what will stop the court from taking away our right to work or our freedom of speech next?