The news that the Supreme Court plans to overturn the long-enduring legal decision that guarantees a constitutional right to abortion was first reported by Politico. A post-Roe America is one in which more people will get seriously hurt or die from unsafe abortions because of the factors leading up to this planned decision.
Abortion is an essential health care procedure, one that is safe and effective when performed with the surgical expertise or support of a medical professional. It's true that banning or severely restricting access to abortion doesn't stop people from obtaining them, it just drives many to end their pregnancies without help. Heavy internal bleeding, infection, and permanent damage to the uterus or other organs from puncturing are some of the consequences of attempted surgical abortions.
According to data from the Guttmacher Institute, abortion rates are the same between countries that severely restrict them and those that don't. In countries with greater access, people are more likely to have unsafe abortions. When Nepal legalized abortion in the early 2000s, maternal deaths and injuries fell as well.
A majority of abortions performed in developing countries are unsafe according to the World Health Organization. As many as 7 million people were hospitalized in 2012 because of these abortions, which contribute to anywhere from 4.7% to 13.2% of maternal deaths. According to Guttmacher, between 22,000 and 31,000 people die annually from unsafe abortions.
People's physical health, livelihood and freedom are all affected by barriers to abortion. The WHO sent out a message on Tuesday affirming the need for legal abortion, stating that access to safe abortion protects the health and promotes the human rights of women and girls.
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