Pro-choice young adults chime in on abortion access in conservative states | Opinion
When I heard that Roe v. Wade had been overturned, I had just completed a Vanderbilt admissions tour. I am 19 years old and very concerned about the short- and long-term effects of this Decision.
Dobbs v. Jackson will impact youth and adults from conservative areas most due to the “trigger bans” which provide each state the ability to enact restrictions on abortion. This will have a bearing on my college peers and in other Southeast states.
I decided to interview pro-choice students from red states which have enacted strict restrictions on abortion to learn more.
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Living a post Roe V. Wade world
Jenesis, 17, a rising senior from Montgomery, Alabama, said she “can’t quite understand why in 2022 decisions limiting rights of citizens in what is nicknamed the 'land of the free' are still being made.” As a Christian young woman, she believes this topic is “one of heavy self-conflict.” Jenesis does not think she would decide to have an abortion but believes every person should have a choice.
S.I., 17, a rising college freshman from Atlanta, Georgia, was shocked with the Decision as, in her mind, Roe v. Wade “was essentially permanent.” The Decision impacts almost all of her friends residing in Georgia. She thinks that advocating is how “[her generation] can create the strong, nonstop pressure” to push politicians.
Faye, 24, is a recent college graduate from Sweden currently living in Nashville, Tennessee. She cannot use most forms of birth control due to the interference with other medications. She wishes the court had considered her situation as well as other similar ones. This ruling is making her reconsider how long she will remain in Tennessee.
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Kaylynn Steen, 21, a rising college senior at the University of Mississippi from Brandon, Mississippi, said that “the precedent that this is setting gives an eerie feeling that this is only the beginning.” She said, “Black women and the Black LGBTQ+ community who sit at the intersections of oppression” will be affected most. Her commitment to Mississippi has increased, and she asked “How can I look at the state of this community and turn my back on it?”
Belle Gage, 19, is a rising sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis and from St. Louis, Missouri. They recognize how difficult obtaining an abortion in Missouri has been for multiple years and that the trek to Illinois “will just be more risky now. Even helping someone with transportation or financial matters on their trip to Illinois or Kansas is illegal now (although certain organizations have found loopholes).” As a social activist, Belle said this must be a gender-inclusive, accessible, and anti-racist fight.
Ranen Miao, 21, a rising senior at Washington University in St. Louis, was previously an intern with Pro-Choice Missouri and worked at the ACLU. He said, “We're already seeing the grotesque impacts of this as people worry about losing IVF treatments, are being denied miscarriage care, and as children who survive rape are forced to cross state lines for the abortion care they need – harms that will be disproportionately felt by people who are already marginalized." Frustrated with his University's apolitical statement, he plans to work with his student government and regional organizations to continue protecting abortion access while centering the voices of impacted students.
Julie Edwards is the Patient Advocacy Programs Manager and Community Engagement Coordinator with Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi in Nashville.
Tennessee is one of 13 states that has a Trigger Ban, which was implemented in August, banning abortions in the State.
This decision means that Southerners will travel to North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois, despite how some of these states have bans not permitting abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. They shared that Planned Parenthood is here to support all Tennesseans.
Ilana Drake is a sophomore at Vanderbilt University whose writing has appeared in Ms. Magazine, PBS NewsHour, and The 74.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How pro-choice young adults are living in a post-Roe V Wade world
