The Right to Choose Women have been fighting for equal rights and to be able to make choices for themselves. Although much has changed in the past two-hundred years one of the most debated women’s rights is still being fought over. Mental and physical health has been a major consure with women who are having abortions; the apposing side has been giving out unclear information about abortion and health problems. With the way of the economy money is tight, people are loosing jobs, and children are being neglected. For the safety of the children being born into poverty, it is best for some to not have to live in such a way. Women living in this country have the option to choose and having the freedom to choose could result in less children being born into poverty. Many different documents have been passed about abortions and how women’s rights are in danger. “In 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey reaffirms the core holdings of Roe that women have a right to abortion before fetal viability, but allows states to restrict abortion access so long as these restrictions do not impose an ‘undue burden’ on women seeking abortions” (House). What this is saying is, Planned Parenthood fought for the right of women to have an abortion in other states although these states may have restrictions. Although the state in which the abortion is taken place, the patient still has the right to have the abortion according to that states laws. This will increase the ability for women to have abortions in and out of their home state but having to abide by the laws of that state.

Five years after this case had gone through the courts and women were given the right to have the ability to go to different states to have the abortion. A hearing on H.R. 1218, 106th Congress, 1st session, congressional testimony before the U.S House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution sent in a bill that tried to take away the rights of teenage women. What is basically said is, “H.R. 1218 forces the legal requirements of a minor's state of residence onto other states, thereby undermining the mutual respect upon which our system of federalism rests” (Knapp). This bill that is in office to be passed is taking away the rights of teenagers to have a legal abortion in a different state. Women’s rights could potential be harmed if this bill passes because they would not have the right to go to a different state to have an abortion without abiding by both the home state and the other states, in which the abortion could take place, laws. Rights have been fought for over the years are slowly being taken away with every bill apposing pro-choice. Many documents have been published about the mental problems attached to abortions.. It would seem likely that these problems do occur, but in all likelihood do not. Jonathan Dube a writer and researcher for the “Washington Monthly” has researched many abortion problems after the choice to abort. What Dube had found was, “the research that is conducted about the feelings on abortion, through questionnaires, are written in such a way that the answers are intended to prove something not necessarily true” Dube goes on to explain this by saying, “what I mean by this is, these questionnaires aren’t getting the full truth, they are only getting the answers they want” (Dube). What he is saying through all this is, the information is flawed. Many studies that are given out after the abortions have questions that might say, “Do you feel different now having an abortion?” Usually the answer is going to be “Yes” because of the patients’ already venerable state. For the apposing side, they usually are only obtaining one sided answers to get the results they want. Many of these studies also believe abortions cause suicide. Many factors can go into a suicide; usually it is not the result from one decision. The decision to commit suicide is caused from many issues with that person. When finding suicide rates, researchers try and find similarities in the different cases of suicide, such as drug problems, abuse, and abortions. After finding cases where a person who commits suicide has had an abortion, many pro-life people believe an abortion was the cause of the suicide (Dube).
This is wrong because no hard research has gone into why that person actually committed suicide. Some women that have gotten abortions might have also suffered from depression, drug abuse, or even a sexual abuse. These factors are not taken into consideration when assuming a suicide is the cause of an abortion. Maybe the abortion was also a factor in the suicide but usually there is deeper problems that result into a suicide. Cancer is one of the largest killers in America. Thousands of people die every year from cancer, sometimes it can be the result of bad genes other times it can just be bad luck. The apposing side has tried to conduct many different studies to prove that women who abort are more likely to obtain cancer than women who decide to give birth. Charles Burton, who has written many articles in the New York Times has found interesting facts that states, “Women who choose to abort have a 0.7% chance of obtaining cancer while women who choose to go about the pregnancy have a 3.1% chance of obtaining cancer” (Burton). False information has been given to women about the chances of cancer after having an abortion. For a woman with an unexpected pregnancy not wanting to abort for the risk of obtaining cancer, because of a high cancer risk in her genes has been miss led. Along with the apposing side stating women who have abortions will be at a higher risk for PID, pelvic inflammatory disease, have also miss led women. PID is a bacterial disease that will go away over time. How a woman could obtain this is one of two ways, first an untreated sexual transmitted disease and second having unprotected sex with a person who has PID. “Abortions do not cause PID nor do they put women at a higher risk for obtaining PID” (Burton). The struggling economy has had a huge effect on the lives of this country’s citizens. “Food stamp enrollment rose in all but four of the 50 states during January, said Agriculture Department figures. Vermont, Alaska and South Dakota had increases of more than 5 percent. Texas had the largest enrollment, 2.984 million, down 65,000, followed by California at 2.545 million, up 43,000, and New York with 2.211 million, up 37,000” (Erbe). The rise in poverty is putting many of children at risk to live comfortably in this economy. With the increasing number of citizens needing aid from the government shows the importance of abortion. Children being raised in homes where necessities are not met, it only makes sense to permit the use of abortions. With the way the economy is, it wouldn’t be the best idea to raise children, especially with the expenses that come with a child. People die from thousands of medical complications every year. Technology is advancing every day. Although people are being cured from diseases that would have killed them twenty years ago, there are still things that will always kill people. Many people are under the impression that abortions cause more death in women than pregnancies. According to the Division of Reproductive Health, “[…] 2.2% of every 100,000 abortions have fatal outcomes [death] […] 3.3% of every 100,000 live births have fatal outcome [deaths]” (Chang). Although the difference is small there is over one percent of a difference. Many people are miss led because of the information given out. Women in particular need to be given the proper information comparing abortions and giving birth. Women have been fighting for their rights to choose what happens with their future. Apposing bills are taking away the rights of women and their freedom to choose. Along with women’s rights in danger the safety of children is becoming an issue Information needs to be cleared up from the apposing side about the untrue rumors of mental problems and suicide from abortions. Along with that health problems including cancer and deaths also are not being truthfully told. The economy is in such a slump that it is difficult to obtain a decent paying job to pay for the needs of a child. Abortions need to continue to stay legal because of its importance of women’s rights along with the importance of child safety.

Works Cited
Burton, Charles. “Cancer Myths and PID Myths”. New York Times. May 2005.
Chang, Jeani M.P.H., Laurie D. Elam-Evans, Ph.D., Cynthia J. Berg, M.D. et. al. “Pregnancy and Abortion-Related Mortality Surveillance”. Surveillance Summaries. 6th November 2006. Dube, Jonathan. “After the Abortion”. Washington Monthly. March 1998.
Erbe, Bonnie and Thomas Jefferson. “In a Recession, Abortions Are Not a Bad Choice”. U.S. News & World Report. 1st April 2009. “House Approves Abortion Bill”. Congress Daily AM. 1st July 1992
Knapp, Lynette. “Teen Access to Abortion Should Not Be Restricted”. Current Controversies:

The Abortion Controversy. 1999.