TW: mentions of rape

As a young woman growing up in Texas, I live in deep fear for the safety of my peers and I. Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas government have formed an ignorant law; the Heartbeat Bill. This bill makes it illegal for a person with a uterus to terminate the pregnancy after six weeks. This includes cases of incest or rape. I truly wonder what makes these men believe that they have a say in what I do with my body.

Due to the immense controversy with this bill, the Supreme Court has reviewed it and decided not to do anything about it. They have blatantly ignored the extreme harm this bill is causing people with uteruses all over the state, people that have been raped, people whose bodies cannot physically carry a baby to term, and people who just simply are not ready to support a child.

The Supreme Court has voted to not block the Texas law, with five justices supporting Texas’s law, and four voting against it. Luckily, there is still the option for abortion providers to oppose the law and bring it back to the Court in the hopes of changing this decision. It would be months before this would be able to happen, and many people like me still feel ignored and almost hopeless.

And if this wasn’t enough, now anyone can report someone for having an abortion or report someone who aided a person in having an abortion and receive payment. Someone can be reported even if there is suspicion of an abortion taking place. Even an Uber driver, who may not know what they are driving someone to, can be reported for “aiding” in an abortion.

Personally, I am fearful. I know that I, as a fertile woman, have the capability to become pregnant, though as a 17-year-old, I am not ready to raise a child. I am on birth control to treat my Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), but birth control may fail. My treatment means I no longer get a period. If for some reason it does fail, I will not know if I am pregnant until way after six weeks. By then, it will be too late.

For many people, especially people who have untreated PCOS, the menstrual cycle is extremely irregular. After six weeks, you have skipped one period. For these people, missing a period is not abnormal, and no reason to suspect a pregnancy, especially if they aren’t necessarily trying to get pregnant. They will not know until it is too late for them to get an abortion, if necessary.

I have heard so many people say, “if you are not ready to have a child then don’t have sex.” Hearing this causes unmeasurable anger in my mind. First, sex is a normal human function. Whether someone chooses to have sex or not is their personal decision, and it is completely normal, no matter what. Second, sex is not always consensual. It is not always someone’s decision not to have sex. How dare anyone blame a victim for having sex when they had no say in the matter.

The people making these laws call themselves “pro-life,” but are they still going to protect the life if the child grows up to be a member of the LGBTQA+ community? Are they going to protect the life of the child if it is a person of color? Are they pro-life or just pro-birth? Are they pro-life or just pro-controlling the bodies of people with uteruses? 

Honestly, this inconsideration and carelessness is something I do expect from the Texas government, especially Abbott. But this is not something I really expected from our Supreme Court, as people who are supposed to protect American citizens when others fail us. Because of this, I, and many of my friends, family, and people that I don’t even know, have to live in complete fear, knowing that we no longer have control over our bodies and whatever we decide for our future families.