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by Dayle Steinberg, CEO and President of Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania The most serious challenge to abortion rights in decades, Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt, will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on March 2. At issue in this case are two provisions of a 2013 Texas law that threaten to further restrict access to abortion in a state where nearly 30 health centers have already closed. If the Supreme Court upholds the restrictions, the 5.4 million women of reproductive age in Texas will be left with only 10 health centers that provide safe, legal abortion. As a result, researchers estimate that waiting periods would increase dramatically, forcing longer delays that could double the percentage of abortions that cross into the second trimester. Women in Texas are already traveling hundreds of miles, crossing state lines, and waiting as long as three weeks to get an abortion, if they can at all. The stakes for women cannot be overstated. A woman’s fundamental right to have access to safe, legal abortion is in jeopardy, and the consequences will reverberate far beyond the Texas borders. New data released from the Guttmacher Institute shows that, in the last five years, politicians have enacted 288 restrictions on abortion at the state level. This has dramatically reshaped the landscape for women seeking an abortion, and now almost 60 percent of women live in states that are either hostile or extremely hostile to abortion rights. This bleak reality could be worsened nationwide if the court upholds the Texas law. It would mean that although abortion remains legal, it is effectively inaccessible for many women. Do we really want to see access to safe, legal abortion available only for those women who happen to live in the right areas of our country? In addition to targeted legislative attacks, the threats and criminal activities against our centers have increased by nine-fold in the last year. Recognizing that the entrances to centers that provide abortion services shouldn’t continue to be venues for hostile interference by aggressively intrusive protestors, state Sen. Larry Farnese (D., Phila,) recently introduced a bill in Pennsylvania to prevent this. SB 1105, which is modeled after the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, would provide additional state-level protections against violence, harassment, and intimidation of all those entering these health-care facilities. We are seeing a new generation of engaged reproductive rights activists motivated by political attacks on access to abortion. And, we’ve seen an outpouring of support from people of all ages who believe extremist politicians have gone too far in their relentless mission to impose barriers to health care. Polls consistently show that a strong majority of Americans support abortion rights. Since July, there have been 14 national polls measuring support for Planned Parenthood — and every single one shows strong backing for Planned Parenthood and access to reproductive health care. Planned Parenthood will continue to fight for every woman's right to make her own decisions, without political interference. We thank you for standing with us and advocating for access to safe, legal abortion for women across the country. Leave a Reply. |
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March 2017
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