Regional Reproductive Rights Face-Off Latin America VS the United States
The United States versus Latin America
The decision that the Supreme Court made on June 24th, 2022 has impacted thousands of women in the United States.
Reproductive Health shares, “taking away the constitutional right to abortion in the US has allowed several states to ban abortion, in turn causing women to not only travel to other states or countries to access abortion but has denied them of choice in their reproductive lives.”
What isn’t discussed enough is the purpose of an abortion. It is a procedure that is meant to do more than just terminate an unplanned pregnancy. Medical professionals state that in very extreme cases, it may be recommended that patients should terminate a pregnancy if it is necessary for the health of the mother and sometimes for the child. Doctors in states where abortions have been banned, one state being Tennessee, are pleading with hospitals to assist patients with regard to abortion policies.
NewsChannel5.com quoted an article by Tony Solan published on October 31st, “Critics say hospitals have failed to provide specific guidance or policies to help doctors navigate high-stakes decisions over how to interpret new abortion bans — leading to situations where patients are denied care until they are on the brink of permanent injury or death.”
Latin American Countries Supporting Women’s Rights
Countries in Latin America such as Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, and Mexico have legalized a woman’s right to have an abortion if it is to preserve the life of the mother. Protesters and activists who have fought for their government to change the law concerning abortion rights have spoken up about how it has affected them.
Beatriz Guillén cited Argentina activist Lucinda Peker’s views on the topic, “The right to abortion is the most important political construction that has been made in Latin America. It’s the only unified policy that exists in the entire region. And we women have made it so.”
Although countries in Latin America have made progress in aiding women to safely have this procedure (whether by choice or medically necessary) the harsh reality is that many other countries around the globe have abortion bans written into their laws. Deciding whether or not a woman should have the right to choose between the safety of her life and the safety of her child’s life by continuing with a pregnancy, is a decision that should not be left in the hands of the government.
