Content Warning: This article includes mentions of sexual assault and abuse.
The right to bodily autonomy has been the subject of arduous debates that lasted decades. The 2024 Presidential and Vice Presidential election cycle discussions focused on access to in vitro fertilization treatments, or IVF treatments. These discussions have been lit on fire during this election cycle.
According to The NPR Politics Podcast, the language around abortion access and IVF care is shifting from conservative and Republican counterparts. A previous predominantly Democratic slogan, “Safe, Legal and Rare,” is now being adapted to Republican campaigns due to a consistent loss in the polls with anti-abortion stances.
The right to a person’s own body is not a political concept. For someone, the education they receive on and exposure to the concept of bodily autonomy may impact their perspectives and personal viewpoints, however, this should never actively or indirectly harm another person.
The maternal mortality rate in a world after the overturning of Roe v.Wade is demoralizing.
According to the National Library of Medicine, “Legal-abortion mortality between 1979 and 1985 was 0.6 death per 100,000 procedures, more than 10 times lower than the 9.1 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births between the years 1979 and 1986.”
All individuals should have access to a healthy and safe environment for the termination of a pregnancy, whether that be a surgical or pill-based approach. White, cisgender people are not the only people at risk for discrimination and violence against their own bodies. People from various racial and ethnic backgrounds are more likely to be assaulted, from the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence.
According to The Office for Victims of Crime, 1 in 2 transgender people are sexually assaulted at some point in their lives.
Testosterone, additionally, does not solely act as a birth control method. This means that gender-expansive individuals can become pregnant and may potentially need access to an abortion after being abused or assaulted in their life.
A person’s past experiences with abuse, or their infertility, does not determine the rest of their life.
A person has the right to heal without the risk of discrimination, medical trauma or medical malpractice resulting in a cause of death. A person’s bodily autonomy starts at the right to exercise control and draw boundaries about their own body.
The idea of fear being a normality for as long as, and after, a person menstruates is monstrous. If a person does not have a uterus, they should never have input on another person’s decisions for their own body.
The misogynistic and invasive discourse around abortion and IVF is not the only problem. The passive acceptance of rape culture and the sexual health crisis in the United States eats away at our society. Individuals need to moderate and participate in genuine discussions around bodily autonomy, according to the United Nations Population Fund.
It is a human right to receive inclusive and respectful healthcare. Point Park students deserve equitable access to healthcare resources. The university does offer access to student organizations, mental/physical healthcare and external resources to local organizations and outlets.
As we move through The Red Zone, listen to every one who trusts enough to share their story. The conversation around bodily autonomy is not just one which applies to political party candidates and wealthier individuals who have the privilege of receiving fast and reliable healthcare, but to everyone who is here and surviving. We, as a whole community, see you.