So you wanna talk about abortion? Fine, let’s talk about it. When it comes to abortion rights, the fact that a predominantly male-driven government is dictating what a woman can do with her body is very disheartening and disgusting. All women should have the ability to access an abortion regardless of the decision she makes. 

While in Texas, women’s rights have been restricted since the repeal of Roe v. Wade, some neighboring states still enable abortion access to those with the means and ability to access this medically necessary procedure. In the event that the federal government takes away the states right to legislate, this issue women across our country could be in jeopardy. 

When Roe v. Wade was overturned; it was a discouraging blow to women across the country, as their fundamental rights had been neglected by the U.S. Supreme Court. Without federal protection for abortion rights, this meant that states could decide themselves whether or not to make abortion legal. Currently, 17 out of 50 states have very strict laws on this right, with Texas being one of them. As someone who has lived in this state my whole life, in a household of females, knowing that my rights as well as millions of others are being violated and neglected is absolutely devastating. This is my home, I should feel safe here, and yet I don’t.

Doctors in the state of Texas could face harsh punishments, including losing their license or jail time, for performing what can be a life saving procedure. Additionally, women who undergo an  abortion are also at risk of spending life in prison. Due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, states are now able to expand or restrict abortion access as they see fit. 

Project 2025, President-Elect Donald Trump’s presidential agenda plan, mentions many gross proposals to ban abortion on a federal level with no exceptions. These proposals include restricting or eliminating access to mifepristone, a drug used to perform a majority of abortions, reinstating amendments that restrict use of federal funds for abortion care, and denying emergency abortion care. Now that he has been elected, Congress could even pass a bill outlawing abortion, and Trump could sign it into law. This also means that young children, even those younger than teens, who are victims of incest or rape would be forced to give birth to the child.  As the oldest sibling in my household, knowing that these irrational laws that deprive women from living freely could be the new normal is demoralizing and inhumane. 

For years women have died to get the rights and equality they deserve and thousands more are dying due to unsafe abortion procedures. One victim of Texas’ harsh abortion bans was 18-year-old Nevaeh Crain, who suffered a miscarriage at six months of pregnancy. The day of her baby shower she developed a fever, headache, nausea, and had sharp pain in her abdominal area. She was rushed to three different ERs and was diagnosed with strep throat and sepsis at the first two, but her abdominal pain was not addressed. Crain was sent home, but even after hours of IV fluid and medicine at home, her fever never went down. The next day Crain was once again rushed to the emergency room, the doctors confirmed the miscarriage, but due to the abortion ban and the potential risk of losing their licenses and facing a life sentence they claimed it was too dangerous to treat the miscarriage, due to uncertainty about which procedures would or wouldn’t be considered a crime. Hours later she died in the ICU after suffering organ failure. She is just one of the hundreds of women who have lost their lives due to the ban. Her story is the devastating and harsh reality that women have to face when having to get an abortion. 

With Trump’s inauguration coming soon and his transition underway, being aware of attacks on women’s rights is very important. But at the end of the day we only have ourselves to blame. Many people pay attention to federal elections but very few know the names of local and state representatives. These are the people who have the ability to grant access or withdraw it and these people can only be elected by Texans. The next time we get mad at the lack of women’s rights, look to your neighbors, look to your representatives. They are who you should truly blame.

If you or anyone you know is being sexually assaulted you are not alone. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is available at 800-656-4673. They are available 24/7 and are available in multiple different languages.