Abortion Care is Health Care
In 1973 the Supreme Court made a landmark decision on the case Roe vs. Wade that affirmed that access to safe and legal abortion is a constitutional right. That decision is currently at risk to be overturned. If that happens more than 65 million people would immediately lose access to an abortion in their home states.
Existing laws in 20 states ban abortions or impose restrictions on people seeking them or on abortion providers. Those laws are on hold, either blocked by courts or superseded by the high court’s 1973 decision. The U.S. Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case about a Mississippi law that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. This case is a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. By agreeing to hear the case, the Court has signaled its potential willingness to overturn decades of its own decisions upholding abortion rights. This is further backed by the recent decision by the Court to allow a Texas law banning abortion at six weeks to go into effect in direct violation of Roe.
New Mexico is one of the few remaining places in the country where a woman or pregnant-capable person can make personal decisions about abortion without political interference. New Mexicans understand that a woman and her family need access to a full range of reproductive healthcare, including abortion. While other states have enacted more than 480 laws that restrict access to abortion since 2010 and more than 300 in the past five years alone, New Mexico remains a place where women from our communities and across the country can access the safe and legal healthcare they need.
One in four women will have an abortion during their lifetime. As an organization who works with our rural and Indigenous families who are currently pregnant and parenting, we can say that these decisions are personal and as varied as the families who make them.
Tewa Women United continues to stand with 77% of our rural New Mexico families who believe, regardless of their faith, that the decision to have or not have a child rests with the pregnant person and their family.
Tewa Women United knows the importance of protecting body sovereignty and personal decision making, and we will continue to use our voices and power to protect our inherent reproductive rights and fight against abortion restrictions which keep people from getting the care they want, need, and deserve.
Abortion care is essential healthcare. Healthcare is a fundamental human right, and human rights are non-negotiable.
WHAT TO DO
- ORGANIZE: If you are ready to organize and take action in your community, you can stay up-to-date on civic engagement opportunities through:
- DONATE: If you want to help fund local groups on the frontlines of providing reproductive care, consider making a donation to:
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