How the US Supreme Courts Reversal of Roe v. Wade Impacts Teenagers

Pregnancy miscarriage abortion Roe v. Wade teenager teenage pregnancy abortion laws

By Camille Hutchison , Parent Herald Jul 03, 07:38 pm

The United States Supreme Court made a historic ruling on June 24. Approximately 36 million women, including teenagers who can bear a child, may no longer have access to safe abortions. Anti-abortion laws, however, are not acknowledged nor supported by the medical community because they said these are not based on scientific evidence.

According to a 2015 Study, 16 percent of unwed pregnant teens are most likely to drop out of high school than those who miscarried.

Teenagers are usually the ones who go for abortion as most of them do not have a stable life yet and are still living under their parents' roof.

Kevin Lang, a co-author of the study and professor of economics at Boston University, stated that teens who avoid motherhood would undergo abortion or use contraception or other means.

Sarah Harte, a clinical social worker and director at The Dorm, said it is important to talk to teenagers about these issues while remaining open-minded as they have different viewpoints.

Rev. Zeh, ordained Baptist minister and CEO of the nonprofit Religious Coalition of Reproductive Choice, explained that it's important to be open and honest with your teen about how this decision might impact their access to reproductive health care in the future. She added that this could also be a good opportunity to discuss topics like sexuality and body autonomy, per Very Well Family.

Defining the truth behind Roe v. Wade

Roe v. Wade was the legal exemplar from 1973 that made abortion legal across the U.S. Overturning this ruling triggered a domino effect leading to social, legal, and economic changes.

Back in 1976, the Hyde Amendment, a provision that banned federal funding for abortion effectively limited the constitutional right to an abortion to only those American wealthy enough to afford one.

Usually, soon-to-be moms teens resort to abortion as they know it is a big responsibility. These pregnancies typically happen due to a lack of education, coming from a low-income family, or being a victim of abuse.

In all 50 states in 1973, pro-life advocates and legislators sought ways to limit the destruction of innocent lives that would authorize muster with the court. One of the reasons why teenagers have an abortion is to achieve personal life goals.

Dissecting facts on the Effects of Roe V. Wade on teenagers

The extensive banning of abortion would severely curtain doctors who need abortion training, one of the requirements for OB/GYN residency programs. However, residents with moral or religious objections may opt-out.

Overturning Roe v. Wade has broad ramifications for people promoting access to abortion and anyone seeking abortions. The landscape surrounding abortion may drastically change in many states legally, economically, and socially.

According to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco and UCLA, almost half of residency programs are located in places that ban abortion.

In other 49 states, access to abortion includes a wide patchwork, with few of the most liberal states guaranteeing access to abortion for pregnant people for at least six months (or longer for medical emergencies). Other states made it almost impossible to access any care.

Such bans on abortion could imperil the ability of states to enlist trainee doctors or secure areas for them to train out of state, limit doctors' experience with abortion being hands-on with training and provision that are useful for treating miscarriages, and possibly skew states where OB/GYN specialists decide to live, train, and work.