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Since then women have taken to protesting in the streets, on social media, and over the phone to voice their opinions about their right’s being stripped away. They called for everyone to join together and hit the government where it hurts the most; their wallet.
Many people called upon TikTokers to refrain from purchasing anything at all from July 3 to July 5. Some were calling for women to even stay at home from work; though they did mention they understood if a woman was unable to do so. All of these requests were to protest the abortion laws that have taken place.
Canadian women are taking a stance with Americans saying if they need a “safe place to travel” they could come to see their cousin, sister, or other family members in Canada. Across the pond women in Britain and Australia have stated they were going to protest this 4th of July to share their outrage at America’s new abortion laws.
Members of the LGBTQIA community have stated that women stood by their sides to help get them equal rights; now it’s their turn. Some even refer to themselves as the “Alphabet Mafia” as they post they are standing with women against the new abortion laws.
One person recorded themselves calling Legislators to give them updates on their uterus since “they seem so interested” in women’s reproductive system. In one TikTok video, a woman describes how she’s on day two of her period and what symptoms she is experiencing.
The Supreme Court’s abortion decision places roughly 33 million women at risk. What once was a basic women’s right has now been outlawed in many states. For many of these women, abortion is a life-saving procedure. Including the 10-year-old child who was raped and then found out a few days after the 6-week mark, she was pregnant.
Statistics from the United Nation shows that there are an estimated 25 million unsafe abortions that happen every year around the world. It further states that there are around 7.9% of maternal deaths each year. These deaths can be attributed to unsafe abortions. The ones most affected by this are women and girls who live in poverty and/or belong to marginalized groups.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade did not just affect abortion rights, it also affects the right to medical privacy period. It also caused birth control trigger laws to be institutionalized. Meaning some states could place a ban on many, if not all, birth control products. One woman on TikTok shared how she attempted to have her birth control implant replaced with a new one. Due to her having a blood clotting issue, they found this birth control method the safest for her to use, however, the new trigger laws outlawed the procedure and device. All other birth control caused her to have potentially deadly blood clots. If she becomes pregnant she could possibly die because of her medical issue and she still cannot use the only birth control that is safe for her.
When the Supreme Court made its decision it opened up the doorway for many other rulings to be overturned. Roe v. Wade was the stepping stone for many civil rights cases like those for the LGBTQ community and even for interracial marriages. Americans should not sit back and let their rights to be free in America be stripped from them.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
NPR: Overturning Roe v. Wade could restrict more than abortion, according to experts
The New York Times: Abortion Laws Around the World
United Nations: Abortion
Global Citizen: ‘Mind Your Own Body’: Photos Show Thousands Protesting for Abortion Rights in a Post-Roe World
CNN: Demand for abortion providers is expected to surge in some states. Doctors and nurses turned to TikTok to offer help
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Miki Jourdan‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Lynn D. Rosentrater‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
