Intentional killing by induced abortion is not medically necessary, but that doesn’t stop pro-abortion activists from claiming that abortion is healthcare as a way to gain support for their cause, even if it might obscure the truth.
That is the case with a recent lawsuit brought by the Center of Reproductive Rights on behalf of multiple women in Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Idaho who claim they were denied abortions during medical emergencies.
For example, the lead plaintiff, Jennifer Adkins, faced a difficult pregnancy. At 12 weeks, she learned her baby had multiple conditions, including a high chance of Turner syndrome, often resulting in miscarriage and carrying cardiovascular risks for the mother. Since Idaho protects nearly all preborn children from abortion, Jennifer traveled to neighboring Oregon for an abortion.
It is important to note that the lives of those with Turner syndrome and other disabilities are not expendable. Several years ago, Live Action News shared the story of a remarkable woman, Julie Leon, who has Turner syndrome. Leon struggled with multiple complications throughout her life, but none stopped her from having a normal life, including getting married and adopting two children. Her story is just one among many like it.
She remarked, “To those who advocate for abortion, I say, my son, my daughter, my nieces and nephews, my grandchildren, and my grandniece and nephew would not be here because they consider our lives expendable.”
This lawsuit bears similarities to another case brought forward by the same organization in Texas. In the Texas lawsuit, a group of women argued that the state’s protections for preborn children posed a risk to their lives. They sought a temporary injunction to prevent these laws from taking effect in situations involving pregnancy complications. Texas, along with several other states, had implemented “trigger laws” that would automatically activate if Roe v. Wade were overturned. Texas laws protect most preborn children after six weeks of pregnancy when a heartbeat can be detected, and those who commit abortions can be criminally charged.
In early August, a Texas judge ruled doctors could exercise their “good faith judgment” in committing abortions for dangerous or complicated pregnancies. However, the state swiftly appealed the ruling, and it is currently on hold, with oral arguments set for late November.
Nancy Northup, Center president and CEO, issued a statement on the lawsuit, arguing that abortion is “standard, necessary, life-saving care.”
“The Supreme Court’s unwarranted reversal of Roe v. Wade has led repeatedly, in multiple states, to women being denied abortion care when they face serious complications in their pregnancies,” said Northup. “No one should have to be at death’s door to receive essential health care, but that is exactly what happens when doctors are forced to practice medicine under threat of imprisonment.”
But is abortion really life-saving? Live Action and other other pro-life organizations have worked tirelessly to dispel the myth that abortion is healthcare, illuminating the fact that thousands of healthcare professionals have asserted that abortion (defined as the intentional and direct killing of a preborn human being) is not medically required to safeguard the health or life of the mother. There are other options, including premature delivery of the preborn child, that are safer for the mother and do not kill the child. Both mother and baby should be treated as patients whose lives are valued.
Although the reversal of Roe v. Wade marked a significant milestone in the pro-life movement, these lawsuits serve as a stark reminder that the fight to protect all human life, including preborn children, is far from over. Pro-lifers now find themselves at a critical juncture where it remains more important then ever to bring to light the truth about abortion, showing that it is neither healthcare nor necessary to save the life of women. The reality is that abortion is dangerous for women, extinguishes a human life, and fails to acknowledge the intrinsic worth of every person.