On June 24th, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing the states to determine their own abortion restrictions. Millions of women were outraged and protested the decision to no avail. Red states have rolled out anti-abortion laws, most being trigger laws that went into effect immediately or after only one month since the ruling. Nobody needs to be educated on the basic consequences of a woman being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy, especially if she is a single mother. Potentially harmful symptoms, poor mental health, financial instability, increased child abuse rates, and abandoning career goals are some of the most well-known effects. But what about the cascading consequences beyond common knowledge that most people do not consider following abortion bans?
Social welfare program resources will dissipate
With a rapid increase of new mothers applying for social welfare programs, less money will be available unless funding is increased. However, most anti-abortion states tend to not prioritize funding to this critical area. The available resources begin to decrease, and now everyone dependent on social welfare programs receives a smaller cut, often too small to sustain a living. Furthermore, tax revenue allocated towards these programs will also decrease. Women make up approximately half of the workforce, and most are child-bearing age. If millions of women are forced to keep an unplanned pregnancy, they will most likely have to quit their job to provide childcare. Childcare costs over $1,200 per month per child in the U.S. on average, so unless the mother is well-off or lucky enough to have a large support system from loved ones, she will be forced to stay at home. If such a large chunk of the workforce is forced to take maternity leave, the amount of taxable income for funding welfare programs and in general will significantly decrease.
Shortage of OB/GYN physicians due to fear of prosecution
A shortage of OB/GYN physicians has occurred due to many being afraid of prosecution for providing medical care. Many anti-abortion laws in states such as Texas sentence providers to decades in prison if they provide an abortion procedure. This procedure is not always what anti-abortionists picture, though. Many women have died due to infection or hemorrhage from a miscarriage; physicians in some states are forced to wait before treating as a result of strict abortion bans. This fear inevitably leads to women dying of preventable causes due to physicians not having the authority or courage to do the procedure even if medically necessary to save the mother’s life.
Lack of obstetric care in rural areas
Since these bans are only in red states, many physicians avoid practicing in them. This leads to an even more severe shortage of OB/GYN physicians in these states, which already tend to be scarce. Lack of funding and providers leads to entire obstetric department shutdowns, like in Monroe County Hospital in Alabama. The entire obstetrics department was forced to shut down following Roe v. Wade being overturned and the lack of OB/GYN physicians willing to work in the state with strict abortion bans and low funding. Women in the area must now travel 35-103 miles for obstetric care (“Harris”), and many live below the poverty line, lacking transportation. Again, women inevitably die from preventable causes without access to proper care, regardless of if it is due to a lack of providers or lack of birthing hospitals altogether.
Result of lack of access to care
Without transportation, women are left stranded even during obstetric emergencies that are commonly fatal left untreated. Beyond the obvious risks, there are a few other effects of barriers to healthcare access. Before the baby is even born, women are often unable to attend prenatal visits. These visits are essential for identifying problems, reducing complication risks, and providing education to ensure proper nutrition for the fetus. Without these visits, many babies are born prematurely with low birth weight and are at higher risk for developmental delays and other adverse conditions. Moreover, these babies usually stay in the NICU for days to weeks. Mothers without means of transportation are unable to visit their newborn unless they can organize a ride, which again requires either money or help from loved ones that are not always available or willing. Lastly, post-partum visits are important to attend as well to monitor the health of the mother, both physical and mental. Considering the obstacles to receive care, many mothers are unable to attend such visits. These mothers are at higher risk of post-partum depression, pulmonary embolism, stroke, and other harmful conditions.
CONCLusion
Abortion bans do not only affect women that want abortions. They affect women that want children but cannot receive proper care. They affect hospitals that have high patient volume but cannot provide proper care. They affect every American, but many do not understand how intertwined women’s healthcare is with society. Even if Roe v. Wade is never codified, we must at the very least acknowledge its complexity, strive to minimize these cascading effects, and protect women.
Works Cited
Harris, Bracey. “With Tears and a Lullaby, a Rural Alabama Hospital Stops Delivering Babies.” NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna125541.