A Leaked Supreme Court Opinion, Abortion And Women’s Health: What’s Really At Stake
Anti-abortion legislation is fighting its way through the United States Supreme Court—which seemingly wants to put the responsibility primarily on states across the country to dictate a woman’s right to chose.
A new report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that there is a particular focus on Georgia, an important political landscape, after a draft of a high court opinion was leaked by POLITICO on (Tuesday) May 3. Including Georgia, there are 22 other states (namely Arizona, Texas, Mississippi, Michigan, and Ohio) that could make abortions illegal in the absence of Roe v. Wade, but the loud and proud message from pro-choice activists across the country is is clear…the fight isn’t over.
Experts note that Supreme Court draft opinions are subject to change, but the conservative-leaning court will hear arguments this summer that could potentially overturn the landmark decision. Even while the Supreme Court prepares, this move leads many to believe there are greater issues at play that could see changes in the near future to same-sex marriage and voting – all of which will be on the minds of many Americans heading to the polls during the upcoming midterm elections.
Beside the political implications, there is the aspect of that state of American women’s health and wellness. BET.com spoke to OB/GYN and women's health advocate Tosha Rogers, M.D. about the now confirmed Supreme Court draft opinion that could leave many women (particularly Black women) without the ability to legally have an abortion. Like other experts, Rogers knows that if Roe v. Wade is overturned—the poor and other marginalized people will bear the brunt of that burden. Most of all, she contends that these restrictive abortion bills are nothing more than an attack on women’s reproductive rights, something Black women know all too well.
BET.com: Any law that affects reproduction, disproportionately affects those who have less access to health care. Whether that means the poor, or specifically communities of color? Can you speak about why overturning Roe v. Wade could especially impact minority communities?
Dr. Tosha: One thing that drives me crazy is we make minorities synonymous with poor, and that's not necessarily the case. The issue is really not the minority women in poor areas. The problem is that insurance is an issue and health care is [also] an issue in education. So if we take that away, and say, ‘Oh, well, they can go to a neighboring state.’ But if these women can barely afford to have an abortion where they live, what makes you think that they can take a long trip, and then pay in another state, which invariably also means the prices are going to go up?
RELATED: Report: Draft Of SCOTUS Decision Would Overturn Roe v. Wade, Ending Constitutional Abortion Rights
You have a situation where that person does not have any resources which also means we're going to be faced with a lot of healthcare crises like hemorrhaging. People passing out, people being found unresponsive because the abortion pill, I'm sure, will start to become for sale on the street. And that's…
BET.com: Not good.
Dr. Tosha: It’s not good.
BET.com: I was a young mom. I had a kid at 19. What do you think the message should be now?
Dr. Tosha: Prevention.
BET.com: So you’re saying that if the message can’t be abortion, then we should we create a clear message around prevention?
Dr. Tosha: Yes, I see women all day. Do you realize that it's women who don't want to have protected sex? It's not the men. And so we need to retrain their brain; we need to retrain their thinking. And it is about prevention like birth control.
BET.com: A lot of the new laws are springing up across various states and now the possibility of Roe v. Wade being struck down… it’s all kind of scary for a lot of women.
Dr. Tosha: I'm gonna tell you let me be human for a second because I'm just as scared as you are. This white coat doesn't make me any different from you.
We all need to come together, truly, as a source of information to educate them in the way that they want to be educated.
Editor’s Note: The interview has been edited for clarity.
