That most people don't realise quite how awful the impact of overturning Roe v Wade is in the US?

[Echobelly]

Obviously, most people know that forced birth in itself is an awful thing, but the more I learn about effects, the more horrifying it is. On top of the individual impact there is:

• A lot of anti abortion states also put miscarriages under investigation with the possibility of prosecution https://www.npr.org/2022/07/03/1109015302/abortion-prosecuting-pregnancy-loss
• This means this Ob-Gyns are walking out of forced birth states as they are open to prosecution if anything goes wrong with a pregnancy, and if remaining are reluctant to be involved at all in the first 12 weeks (and mums are reluctant to get care in case they miscarry and are prosecuted), and so there is less cover for any births, endangering all mums https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/07/health/maternity-units-closing/index.html
• Doctors can't provide care to mothers who are experiencing pregnancy complications that are endangering her life, or are forced to wait until the mother is guaranteed to die imminently if they don't intervene https://www.ft.com/content/68dd2cc2-828d-4d00-8ccf-176dbb56d25f
• Adoption and fostering agencies are already overwhelmed
• Most children in US are taking into care for neglect which often translates as 'poor parents' (especially if black or indigenous) - so if a mum is forced to give birth even though she can't afford a child/another child, there is a strong chance she'll have the child taken from her later https://twitter.com/womensmediacntr/status/1649414182998089732

And it goes on...

It's absolutely terrifying. I can't believe in a civilised world this is being allowed to happen.

It’s madness and so very sad for the women over there

I find it horrendous. I was so shocked when I realised ectopic pregnancy is included in the rules. a termination in that case can be the difference between life or death for the woman!

Yanbu, it’s dreadful!

It’s terrifying for the poor women living in those states most affected by this. I imagine we’ll start hearing of lots of women experiencing similar to Savita Halappanavar. Unnecessary deaths and suffering for no reason at all.

It is horrific. Barbaric. I can't believe it is going on.

Yes. It's absolutely chilling this is happening in 2023.

A lot of people (and not all of them so-called "pro-lifers") were saying for years that the decision in Roe v Wade was bad law and open to being overturned. In the 20+ years since the decision, the Democrats did nothing, literally nothing, to try and get the right to abortion enshrined in Federal Law. Not even when they controlled both houses of the Congress. It's not just the "pro-life right" that has to carry the can for this.

I am pro choice and opposed to this decision in the United States, but do you have any sources regarding adoption and fostering agencies being overwhelmed as a result of a lot of extra babies being born?

I just did a search in the news, and the only stuff I could see was news articles from summer 2022, saying that such organizations might see an increase as a result of the new restrictions on abortion.

I would actually be surprised if the abortion restrictions resulted in this (or at most, there might be very short-term blip that would be corrected quite quickly); experience from other countries suggests that when you restrict abortion, women just double down on birth control and the MAP. In particular, people who think they do not want any (more) children but are not 100% sure, become more likely to seek permanent sterilization at relatively earlier ages, in order to avoid the risk of an "oops" pregnancy, (as opposed to situations where abortion is easily available, in which those same people are more likely to go on the pill etc. or encourage their partners to do this, and leave their options open for longer).

I live in the US (moved here from London in 2019) and it’s a very different world here that is hard to understand for most Europeans. Many people are religious (don’t think I have gotten so many “I will pray for you” before coming here) and are actually pro-life. I’m in a very liberal big city and still see many cars driving around with pro-life stickers. It is absolutely creeping me out.
We don’t have to look that far, some European countries have very strict abortion laws with some horrible consequences, Poland being one of them.

I voted yabu because I think those consequences are widely known and reported on. Yanbu to be horrified.

Its absolutely potty !
They are happy with their gun laws and children being shot every week but woe betide a woman having a choice over her own body

I'm currently living in Florida, but this is one of the (many) reasons we are returning to the UK. We have the resources for our DD to travel to terminate a pregnancy if it was necessary. However, we can't protect her from the dreadful consequences for pre natal care should she want to start a family.

Appalling that it has happened in this day and age.

Obviously it's awful for American women, but just as disconcerting is that these anti-abortion groups are now increasing their activities in the UK and other countries too: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/02/us-anti-abortion-groups-uk-far-right. It absolutely sickens me that some of these groups have set up "pregnancy health centres" in UK cities.

I agree. Both Obama and Biden promised they would make access to safe, legal abortion federal law and neither of them did. Roe v Wade has always been precarious, the Republicans always oppose abortion so it was up to the Democrats to do something to stop existing rights being withdrawn. The writing was on the wall when the balance in the Supreme Court tipped in the Republicans favour, everyone knew it and yet Biden still did not make it a priority.

Whilst free contraception is available in the US, it's not universal and I believe some insurance companies won't cover it for religious reasons. It will affect the poorest women the most.

They realise but the plonk it together with all the crazy shit happening in the USA. Their problem to solve.

It's the same in Chile, and Malta.

If you have a cardiac arrest and you are pregnant beyond 20 weeks then the medical teams has about 4 mins to resuscitate you before they perform a C-section to give your child a chance at life.

Resus does continue.

I dread to think what happens atm in the US, thankfully cardiac arrest is rare in pregnancy,

Can we welcome women and their partners from the US as asylum seekers to the UK? Clearly fleeing repression and an oppressive situation. A nation renowned for hard working, optimism and a can-do mindset would be most welcome.

How is Biden able to overturn the ruling which protects women’s sports but won’t overturn this ruling? I dont get it.

https://spotify.link/yk8nwvElczb

This was a fascinating podcast about the changes being made currently in America, including various challenges via the courts, all relating to abortion and restrictions on the rights of women to obtain one.

A few years ago I read in an article about how no politician would admit to being an atheist even though there must be a few. I thought that was a bit mad, here no-one cares, constant expressions of faith probably reduces the likelihood of you being elected in the UK. America has a really different culture. I read that theres an increase in men getting vasectomies, especially child free younger men.

The consequences for women and girls is dire, truly awful. It’s extraordinary to me that it happened tbh.

I voted YABU because most people in the US do understand how awful this turn of events is. Public opinion is more towards pro choice despite the sizable minority who want to see a total ban. You aren't the only one who has worked out the devastating consequences of such a law.

Apparently in the state of Iowa they are now removing the right to emergency contraception as part of the "rape kit" used by police/medics in the immediate aftermath of a rape

So if you seek medical/police support, one of the things you would have had access to would be emergency contraceptive at the place you report the rape.

This is now being stopped.

So women and girls who have been raped wouldn't get this essential contraception to stop a pregnancy sticking as soon as possible but would (possible days) later have to go and source their own, and pay for it, when it's accessibility it vanishingly rare and really time is of the essence.

Pregnancy by force. Women and girls forced to carry their rapists baby. Because of course they can no longer abort a pregnancy if that's what it becomes.

More to the point, why don't more Americans realise how awful it is? A huge number of them including many women, vote in support of these "reforms".