The Right to Abortion
Governments claim that their laws and policies are made in the best interest of the public and support and protect the country’s population. But for Savita Halappanavar, this was not the case; her death was caused because of the laws of her country.
On October 21, 2012, Savita was 17 weeks pregnant when she walked into a hospital due to back pain and pressure on her lower back. The pain was unbearable for her, and checkups discovered that the sac surrounding the baby was protruding out of her body in an unnatural manner. Later at midnight, Savita broke her water, but the fetus did not come out. The doctors told her that a miscarriage was unavoidable, so she decided that the most sensible option was to have an abortion. However, Savita’s life turned upside down when the physician refused her request for abortion because of the laws in Ireland.
Due to Ireland’s Catholic beliefs, Irish law stated that abortions were only allowed if the fetus had no heartbeat, but Savita’s fetus was still alive. Unfortunately, because Savita could not receive an abortion, she got an infection and developed a condition called sepsis. Despite the doctors’ best efforts, Savita Halappanavar died at the young age of 31. If her country’s law had allowed for an abortion, Savita could live a long happy life. If abortion was legal, then her husband and family would not have to see their loved one die painfully.
One might believe that Savita’s case is a rare occurrence. However, that is far from the truth as there have been countless incidents where women have died because they were not allowed to have an abortion. It is not just countries like Ireland that have bans on abortions, 26 states in the US also implement abortion restrictions. The problem with the restrictions is that they increase the likelihood of death from pregnancies. In 2020, states with abortion restrictions had 62% higher rates of maternal death than states that allow abortions. These percentages are scary, and even a 1% increase means countless more husbands and families losing their loved one when it could have been prevented. Restrictive abortion laws are extremely harmful to mothers because if they have any life threatening complications during pregnancy, which can be resolved through an abortion, they are prevented from receiving this life-saving procedure.
Many can agree that one of humanity’s greatest sins was slavery, which has been a part of human history since 11 000 years ago. Ironically, cChristian slaveholders felt justified in their actions by using the very bible to justify their actions. Obviously using the bible to justify immoral actions simply does not make it correct. While slavery and abortions may not appear to be related to each other, they have more in common than one might think. Just how slaveholders used the bible to justify slavery, anti-abortionists are also using the bible to justify banning abortion. They argue that abortions should be banned as the bible talks about how there is value in human life even before birth. But just like how there is no logical evidence to use the bible to justify enslaving humans, it is illogical to use a piece of text to justify endangering the lives of killing thousands of women. Removing the rights of a person simply cannot be justified by the bible as there is no evidence to suggest that abortions should be illegal. Bible or no bible, the point stands that abortions are a human right, and removing access to abortions is as much of a sin as slavery. If God wanted everyone to live a happy and long life, then God would legalize abortions.
Slavery, one of humanity’s cruelest practices, was abolished roughly 160 years ago in 1865. This was a significant moment in history as it freed black people from the chains of slavery and gave them the right to their own body. Ever since then, slavery has become illegal in practically every country. Even though governments make numerous laws like the Bill of Rights to give their citizens the rights that every human should have, ironically, they have not given women the right to their own body through legalizing abortions. Removing women the right to receive an abortion is comparable to enslaving black people as in both cases, people do not have the rights to their own bodies. By illegalizing abortions, like how the blacks were enslaved, women are enslaved under the law because they cannot make their own choice. If the slavery of blacks was abolished 160 years ago, then why are women being enslaved under the law to this day? Laws are meant to ensure that everyone lives a long and joyous life, but if governments truly want beneficial policies, if governments truly want everyone to have freedom, then abortion must be legalized.