Problems With The Arkansas Abortion Law

Courtesy+of+Internets+Dairy.+The+people+seen+here+protest+to+protect+women%E2%80%99s+reproductive+rights.%0A

Courtesy of Internets Dairy. The people seen here protest to protect women’s reproductive rights.

On January 26, 2017, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson signed House Bill 1032, commonly known as the Arkansas Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act.
Governor Hutchinson quickly signed the act just after his state Senate and House joined together in a discussion. The Senate and House reached a majority vote as Hutchinson helped finalize the bill. The law bans dismemberment abortion, which are mostly second trimester after thirteen weeks.

Dismemberment, also known as Dilation and Evacuation, is the safest way to cease a second trimester pregnancy, making it the most common second trimester abortion procedure. Effectively banning these abortions will not end all second trimester abortions, but can force women into taking riskier measures. Rather than preventing abortions to preserve lives, as lawmakers say, this ban endangers the lives of women who seek abortions for a variety of reasons. Why do these politicians, who have no experience of being either a mother or a doctor, get to decide what women do with their bodies?
The abortion law makes no consideration for those who are vitims of incest or rape. This law essentially claims that if men forcibly impregnate someone, the women have to deal with the consequences of the attackers’ actions. Additionally, most women do not find out they are pregnant until much later. According to Michael Cackovic, MD, an OB/GYN at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, “There are women who don’t have routine sex, don’t have routine periods, and don’t regularly see a doctor,”
Moreover, other women may have mental health issues, or have faced traumatic issues to not immediately realize they are pregnant. Manifesting itself as a denied pregnancy, it is often a shock as some recognize that they may not be fit to be a mother.
This law also applies to women who voluntarily have sex. One of the most common reasons why women have abortions is because they simply cannot afford a child due to the cost, and childcare support is not enough.
According to CNN, it costs $12,350-$14,000 to raise a child annually, and prenatal care costs around $2,000—and that is before the child is even born. Furthermore, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the average four year childcare center costs $18,000. Not all jobs offer paid leave, so many parents either have to take time off work or spend extra money to help take care of their child.
Rather than shaming women for wanting to terminate their pregnancies, lawmakers should create more alternatives to support women. Lawmakers claim that they are saving an unborn child’s life, but this law makes it seem like they care more about a fertilized egg’s life than an established woman’s. Many people believe this law is unconstitutional and are ready to make sure this law does not go into practice. The ACLU, American Civil Liberties Union, is already working on a lawsuit to have this law overturned.
Laws like the one seen in Arkansas should not exist. Lawmakers should not have the right to decide what to do with a woman’s body without having personal experience, or considering the reasons carefully.