Do Women Need Equitable Access to Abortion Services?

The Women's Health Protection Act (WHPA) of 2023 is a significant legislative proposal aimed at ensuring consistent and equitable access to abortion services across the United States (Women's Health Protection Act [WHPA], 2023). The bill has been proposed in Congress on multiple occasions, with the latest version being H.R. 12, introduced in the 118th Congress in March 2023.

Despite widespread public support for abortion access, the procedure is now illegal in 14 states, while 41 states have abortion bans in place with only limited exceptions (Guttmacher Institute, 2024). Imposing further restrictions on accessing abortion can significantly lead to worse health outcomes, including higher maternal mortality rates, especially for Black women, who are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared to White women (Health Equity, 2024). Furthermore, restricting access to abortion may exacerbate the risk of individuals experiencing financial instability and propagating cycles of poverty across generations (Foster et al., 2018).

As abortion becomes illegal in certain states, pregnant women seeking abortion and reproductive care are limited in their accessibility and are forced to travel long distances to receive necessary care. Having abortion services illegalized violates human rights as it forces women to carry pregnancies against their will. In 2022, the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) had a vote of 49-51 and was unable to advance in legislation, which, at this point in time, revealed where lawmakers stand on abortion rights and the trajectory of overturning Roe v. Wade (L. Zhou, 2022)

The Women's Health Protection Act aims to overturn Texas' restrictive abortion law, SB8, which prohibits abortion after just six weeks of pregnancy. It would also stop similar bans from being put in place in other states (Targeted News Service, 2021). The proposed measure will empower women, particularly those from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities in the United States, to exercise their reproductive rights and make autonomous decisions regarding their pregnancies, families, and lives.

References

Foster, D. G., Biggs, M. A., Ralph, L., Gerdts, C., Roberts, S., & Glymour, M. M. (2018). Socioeconomic Outcomes of Women Who Receive and Women Who Are Denied Wanted Abortions in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 108(3), 407–413. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.304247

State Bans on Abortion Throughout Pregnancy. Guttmacher Institute. (2024, June 1). https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/state-policies-abortion- bans#:~:text=41%20STATES%20HAVE%20ABORTION%20BANS%20IN%20EFFECT%20WITH%2 0ONLY%20LIMITED%20EXCEPTIONS.

Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA). Center for Reproductive Rights. (2023, June 23).https://reproductiverights.org/the-womens-health-protection-act-federal-legislation-to-protect-the-right- to-access-abortion-care/

Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023, H.R.12, 118th Cong. (2023). https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/12/text

Zhou, L. (2022, May 11). The Senate’s doomed vote on abortion rights explained. Vox. https://www.vox.com/2022/5/11/23065959/senate-abortion-vote-womens-health-protection-act