Roe V. Wade Pros And Cons
In March of 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law by President Obama. This federal law intended to make health insurance more affordable and more readily accessible to citizens and legal residents of the United States. (Salganicoff, 2014). The Affordable Care Act benefits all of the citizens of the United States, and it has been especially beneficial to women 's health issues. It has been said to be the "greatest advance for women 's health in a generation" (Health Reform is Making a Difference is Women 's Lives, 2012).
The passing of the Affordable Care Act will allow approximately 6.8 million low-income woman to gain access to health insurance. (Levy, 2012). Women have faced discrimination in health care for generations …show more content…
and the Affordable Care Act has put provisions in place to address and fix this long-standing problem. ("Why The Affordable Care Act Matters For Women: Coverage of Women 's Preventive Services, Including Contraception", 2012)
Before the passing of the Affordable Care Act, women faced many obstacles when trying to seek care. One in Four women of reproductive age lacked health coverage, and what is especially shocking is that four out of ten poor women of childbearing age were uninsured. (Gold, 2009). These numbers are unacceptable, and most Americans believe that change needs to happen.
Since the law passed, many substantial changes have been made. Coverage of all preventative health services is now available to women without cost-sharing. These preventative screenings include screening for gestational diabetes, HPV, and cervical cancer screenings, counseling and testing for STD 's and HIV, contraceptives, and yearly well-woman visits. ("Why The Affordable Care Act Matters For Women: Coverage of Women 's Preventive Services, Including Contraception", 2012)
Americans have focused on these issues, and many ask why these statistics are relevant. Here 's the reason: Women are often the foundation of their families. They raise children, manage their households, and work outside the home while putting the needs of others before their own. Before the Affordable Care Act passed, women often paid more than men for the same insurance plan. Many were denied coverage because they were sick or had a pre-existing condition such as breast cancer, or had had a cesarean section. Women, who were receiving medical treatment because of domestic abuse, were also denied. Many times preventative care such as mammograms and cervical cancer screenings are refused, and these are life-saving preventative measures. ("Why The ACA Matters For Women: Summary of Key Points", 2012).
All of these points and lack of care are detrimental to a woman 's health and greatly impact their families. The passing of the Affordable Care Act has also made it easier for women to plan for expanding their families and get the prenatal and postnatal care that is so important. Contraceptives are available to women with no cost-sharing. More low-income women now have access to family planning, and pregnant women will benefit from home visitation that pair them with a professional and provides education and support during their child 's first three years of life. ("Why The ACA Matters For Women: Summary Of Key Points", 2012). When women have access to greater family planning, she can choose when to have children. She can seek care in the pre-conception period and be at her healthiest, as well as seek pre-natal care in the early stages of her pregnancy. These measures allow for a healthier mom and baby and a less complicated pregnancy.
Education and services on post-partum depression are also made available to women and women are encouraged to take advantage of the services. Post-partum depression affects between 9 and 16 % of postnatal women and can be devastating to families. ("Postpartum Depression", 2015).
Despite the obvious benefits of the Affordable Care Act, many people are still trying to attack the ACA and limit access for women. Just last week Congress introduced a bill to ban abortions past 20 weeks. These issues, which are being attacked by conservatives should be an undeniable right for women, but many do not agree and Republicans vowed to attack the health law following their election win. (Jaffe, 2014). If Americans can stay the course and keep supporting women 's rights here in America, 32 million fewer Americans will be uninsured in 2019. (Sonfield, 2010).
The positive impact of the Affordable Care Act goes way beyond just getting Americans insured. This progress is likely to lead to tremendous improvements in many areas, including a decline in an unplanned pregnancy and premature births here in the United States. (Starrs, 2015).
The Affordable Care Act was off to a successful start in 2015. 6.4 million Americans have selected a health care plan, and 2 million of those were new signups. Americans are signing up, and the rate of uninsured Americans is at the lowest they 've been since 1997. ("The second act of the Affordable Care Act," 2015). With a dedication to women 's reproductive rights, Americans can continue to manage their health successfully, and the United States will continue to see improvements.
References: http://www.texasobserver.org/reproductive-health-and-the-84th-abortion-restrictions-for-vulnerable-teens-more/ Statistics show in 2008, approximately 1.21 million abortions took place in the United States. Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended; about four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion. Twenty-two percent of all United States pregnancies end in abortion. In 2007, 87% of all abortions were performed on unmarried women. 50% of United States women obtaining abortions are younger than 25. 47% of women who have abortions had at least one previous abortion.
Some woman say the reason for getting the abortion is because having a baby would interfere with work, school or other responsibilities. Some say that they could not afford a child. Others say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.There have been records of deaths due to abortions, in 2007, 6 women died as a result of complications from known legal induced abortion. In 2009, the average cost of a nonhospital abortion with local anesthesia at 10 weeks of gestation was $451. 8% of women having abortions have never used a method of birth control. 40 % of minors having an abortion report that neither of their parents knew about the abortion.
Some may argue that an abortion is taking a life. However, the law states that a fetus is not considered a person until it takes its first breath. One could argue that preventing a possible life, which is true, but should the government have a right to control what a woman does with her own body? It would appear very hypocritical for the government to deny a woman the right to have an abortion based on the idea that she is taking a life, when the government itself has stated that it is not a person, therefore no life is taken. Another inquiry to abortion being voted on is the matter of church vs. state. Should abortion be a political matter?
Abortion has been a touchy subject for the United States and particularly women for quite some time.
Abortion is made legal as a result of Roe v Wade. Roe v Wade is the historic Supreme Court decision overturning a Texas interpretation of abortion law and making abortion legal in the United States. The decision held that a woman with her doctor could choose abortion in earlier months of pregnancy without restriction, and with restrictions in later months, based on the right to privacy. Roe v. Wade was decided primarily on the Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution, a part of the Bill of Rights. The Court 's decision was that the Ninth Amendment, in stating, "The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people," to protect a person 's right to …show more content…
privacy".
Having right to privacy over one’s body is protected by the Constitution. Therefore, if the government amended the abortion law to make it illegal, it would not be in congruity with the Constitution. Also a decision that involves the body and whether or not a woman decides to keep a child should be viewed as a moral decision, not an issue with the state. A personal experience of mine, which in turn helped shape my opinion on the matter of abortion, was a simple drive by. I am Catholic and therefore I have many beliefs and own rules and traditions to follow (and therefore I have my own beliefs, rules, and traditions to follow.). My beliefs do not always support whichever law is being passed at the time and will of course influence my decisions. One day, I was driving and noticed that the car in front of me was covered in stickers preaching Catholicism and anti-abortion. One particular sticker stated that, “you cannot be both catholic and prochoice." I was utterly outraged, because I am both catholic and prochoice. I am personally against abortion but I do not believe that state should have the power to control what a woman does with her body, supporting my idea that abortion is a moral decision.
This situation in turn causes more arguments about Church vs. State. A person cannot help in being biased toward a matter such as abortion. This is extremely present in those who have some sort of religious belief. The law states that you cannot mix Church vs. State. However, religious beliefs originate from the church. So ultimately those beliefs will effect one’s decision towards something political whether or not they are in support or not. Since many people base all their decisions on their religion abortion tends to follow in weather or not they believe in it or not.
Many people also ask the question, "How can you be both prochoice and anti-abortion." It is very simple because I am both prochoice and anti-abortion. As I have stated earlier, I do not support abortion but I do not believe the state should have control over it. This is also my belief, which is not the same for many others. When dealing with a tough decision like this, many people do not know what decision to make. So why should my belief have anything to do with what someone else does? Everyone has his or her own beliefs, mine is neither right nor better. The United States is about welcoming differences in just about everything. This is what makes our country so culturally and religiously diverse. No one 's culture is better than the other just as no religion is better than another. Therefore, abortion should not be voted on by the people or the state. It should not be a major issue in the political world; it should be for an individual to decide with no scrutiny in any way. Abortion is moral not political.
References:
www.womenhistory.com http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/ http://www.dc-sds.org/files/reprohandout.pdf
Marijuana is one of the most discussed and controversial topics in the U.S today. Many say that it has medicinal benefits and should be made legal. While many say that it has a “high potential for abuse” (Medical) and should remain illegal. Among the arguments, proponents for medical marijuana have presented a stronger argument for legalization through their use of research and evidence.
Opponents of medical marijuana have given many reasons for why it should not be legalized.
One of the main reasons they argue is that “Marijuana smoke contains known carcinogens and produces dependency in users” (Medical). In many studies it has shown that it does have some harm such as the harms associated with smoking, but the National Academy of Science affirmed that “marijuana’s short term medical benefits outweigh any smoking-related harms for some patients”(Medical). Though marijuana has been proven to be damaging to the lungs than tobacco, a study in 2006 “found no evidence that marijuana smokers had higher rates of lung cancer” (Medical Marijuana). The FDA has tested the effectiveness of marijuana and has found that the cannabinoids are helpful in “treating pain associated with chemotherapy, postoperative recovery, and spinal cord injury, as well as neuropathic pain, which is often experienced by patients with metastatic cancer, multiple sclerosis,[and] diabetes” (Medical
Marijuana).
There is also no evidence shown that patients who use marijuana become addicted. Though the opposing side argues this, they show no evidence in supporting this claim, which therefore, the claim is invalid. There are many pharmaceutical drugs used for treatment and they are addictive, yet it’s legal. Also carcinogens can have a negative effect, but there are many things in society, such as tobacco, that contains harmful toxins, yet it’s still legal. To say that marijuana should remain illegal because it is addictive, is irrelevant because these items are still present in society today and are harmful to the human body, but still they remain legal.
In other arguments, opponents such as the DEA have argued continuously that medical marijuana has no medicinal value. Although NORML has shown that it helps with “pain relief, nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders”. This research has also proven that marijuana helps with HIV/AIDS patients.
HIV is one of the leading causes of deaths, primarily in African Americans. In this disease, patients suffer from loss of appetite and pain as shown in Figure 1. Many patients have complained that pharmaceutical drugs that physicians provide them, does not help them through this disease. Studies have shown that medical marijuana has proven for some patients to have better results than prescription drugs, but opponents have held back millions of patients who are suffering. Some ill patients need medical marijuana, like mal-nourished plants need water to survive. The DEA are taking these rights away from the ill and they continue to live in a horrible state. The DEA are constantly breaking into people’s homes and arresting them for the use of medical marijuana. Innocent people are being charged heavy fines or even jail time just because they wanted to relieve their pain and suffering.
NORML has shown that “73 percent of Americans support making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe”. This shows that many of the American people want to give medical marijuana to the seriously ill patients. They understand that legalizing medical marijuana is only accessible for ill patients and not for recreational use. Also “since 1996, voters in 13 states- have adopted initiatives exempting patients who use marijuana under physician’s supervision from state criminal penalties” (NORML). Ill patients in America should be given their rights in every state so that each patient can receive equal care. As citizens of the United States seriously ill patients are born with rights and should not be deprived from them.
Many of the different reasons, that the opposing side has given, are irrelevant and can be easily proven by the evidence given by the proponents. The DEA have let millions of patients suffer miserably for many years because they refuse to give them the proper care. Research has already proven that it has medicinal value and it should not be withheld from these patients any longer.
Works Cited
“Marijuana Should Be Legalized for Medical Use.” Drug Legalization. Noel Merino.
Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Current Controversies. Gale Opposing
Viewpoints In Context. Web. 23 Jan. 2011
“Medical Marijuana.” Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale,
2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 23 Jan. 2011.
“Medical Marijuana Should Remain Illegal.” Legalizing Drugs. San Diego: Greenhaven
Press, 2006. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 23 Jan. 2011
UN Photo/Martine Perret; Flicker Photos, Web; 12 Jan. 2008
endprint
The passing of the Affordable Care Act will allow approximately 6.8 million low-income woman to gain access to health insurance. (Levy, 2012). Women have faced discrimination in health care for generations …show more content…
and the Affordable Care Act has put provisions in place to address and fix this long-standing problem. ("Why The Affordable Care Act Matters For Women: Coverage of Women 's Preventive Services, Including Contraception", 2012)
Before the passing of the Affordable Care Act, women faced many obstacles when trying to seek care. One in Four women of reproductive age lacked health coverage, and what is especially shocking is that four out of ten poor women of childbearing age were uninsured. (Gold, 2009). These numbers are unacceptable, and most Americans believe that change needs to happen.
Since the law passed, many substantial changes have been made. Coverage of all preventative health services is now available to women without cost-sharing. These preventative screenings include screening for gestational diabetes, HPV, and cervical cancer screenings, counseling and testing for STD 's and HIV, contraceptives, and yearly well-woman visits. ("Why The Affordable Care Act Matters For Women: Coverage of Women 's Preventive Services, Including Contraception", 2012)
Americans have focused on these issues, and many ask why these statistics are relevant. Here 's the reason: Women are often the foundation of their families. They raise children, manage their households, and work outside the home while putting the needs of others before their own. Before the Affordable Care Act passed, women often paid more than men for the same insurance plan. Many were denied coverage because they were sick or had a pre-existing condition such as breast cancer, or had had a cesarean section. Women, who were receiving medical treatment because of domestic abuse, were also denied. Many times preventative care such as mammograms and cervical cancer screenings are refused, and these are life-saving preventative measures. ("Why The ACA Matters For Women: Summary of Key Points", 2012).
All of these points and lack of care are detrimental to a woman 's health and greatly impact their families. The passing of the Affordable Care Act has also made it easier for women to plan for expanding their families and get the prenatal and postnatal care that is so important. Contraceptives are available to women with no cost-sharing. More low-income women now have access to family planning, and pregnant women will benefit from home visitation that pair them with a professional and provides education and support during their child 's first three years of life. ("Why The ACA Matters For Women: Summary Of Key Points", 2012). When women have access to greater family planning, she can choose when to have children. She can seek care in the pre-conception period and be at her healthiest, as well as seek pre-natal care in the early stages of her pregnancy. These measures allow for a healthier mom and baby and a less complicated pregnancy.
Education and services on post-partum depression are also made available to women and women are encouraged to take advantage of the services. Post-partum depression affects between 9 and 16 % of postnatal women and can be devastating to families. ("Postpartum Depression", 2015).
Despite the obvious benefits of the Affordable Care Act, many people are still trying to attack the ACA and limit access for women. Just last week Congress introduced a bill to ban abortions past 20 weeks. These issues, which are being attacked by conservatives should be an undeniable right for women, but many do not agree and Republicans vowed to attack the health law following their election win. (Jaffe, 2014). If Americans can stay the course and keep supporting women 's rights here in America, 32 million fewer Americans will be uninsured in 2019. (Sonfield, 2010).
The positive impact of the Affordable Care Act goes way beyond just getting Americans insured. This progress is likely to lead to tremendous improvements in many areas, including a decline in an unplanned pregnancy and premature births here in the United States. (Starrs, 2015).
The Affordable Care Act was off to a successful start in 2015. 6.4 million Americans have selected a health care plan, and 2 million of those were new signups. Americans are signing up, and the rate of uninsured Americans is at the lowest they 've been since 1997. ("The second act of the Affordable Care Act," 2015). With a dedication to women 's reproductive rights, Americans can continue to manage their health successfully, and the United States will continue to see improvements.
References: http://www.texasobserver.org/reproductive-health-and-the-84th-abortion-restrictions-for-vulnerable-teens-more/ Statistics show in 2008, approximately 1.21 million abortions took place in the United States. Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended; about four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion. Twenty-two percent of all United States pregnancies end in abortion. In 2007, 87% of all abortions were performed on unmarried women. 50% of United States women obtaining abortions are younger than 25. 47% of women who have abortions had at least one previous abortion.
Some woman say the reason for getting the abortion is because having a baby would interfere with work, school or other responsibilities. Some say that they could not afford a child. Others say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.There have been records of deaths due to abortions, in 2007, 6 women died as a result of complications from known legal induced abortion. In 2009, the average cost of a nonhospital abortion with local anesthesia at 10 weeks of gestation was $451. 8% of women having abortions have never used a method of birth control. 40 % of minors having an abortion report that neither of their parents knew about the abortion.
Some may argue that an abortion is taking a life. However, the law states that a fetus is not considered a person until it takes its first breath. One could argue that preventing a possible life, which is true, but should the government have a right to control what a woman does with her own body? It would appear very hypocritical for the government to deny a woman the right to have an abortion based on the idea that she is taking a life, when the government itself has stated that it is not a person, therefore no life is taken. Another inquiry to abortion being voted on is the matter of church vs. state. Should abortion be a political matter?
Abortion has been a touchy subject for the United States and particularly women for quite some time.
Abortion is made legal as a result of Roe v Wade. Roe v Wade is the historic Supreme Court decision overturning a Texas interpretation of abortion law and making abortion legal in the United States. The decision held that a woman with her doctor could choose abortion in earlier months of pregnancy without restriction, and with restrictions in later months, based on the right to privacy. Roe v. Wade was decided primarily on the Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution, a part of the Bill of Rights. The Court 's decision was that the Ninth Amendment, in stating, "The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people," to protect a person 's right to …show more content…
privacy".
Having right to privacy over one’s body is protected by the Constitution. Therefore, if the government amended the abortion law to make it illegal, it would not be in congruity with the Constitution. Also a decision that involves the body and whether or not a woman decides to keep a child should be viewed as a moral decision, not an issue with the state. A personal experience of mine, which in turn helped shape my opinion on the matter of abortion, was a simple drive by. I am Catholic and therefore I have many beliefs and own rules and traditions to follow (and therefore I have my own beliefs, rules, and traditions to follow.). My beliefs do not always support whichever law is being passed at the time and will of course influence my decisions. One day, I was driving and noticed that the car in front of me was covered in stickers preaching Catholicism and anti-abortion. One particular sticker stated that, “you cannot be both catholic and prochoice." I was utterly outraged, because I am both catholic and prochoice. I am personally against abortion but I do not believe that state should have the power to control what a woman does with her body, supporting my idea that abortion is a moral decision.
This situation in turn causes more arguments about Church vs. State. A person cannot help in being biased toward a matter such as abortion. This is extremely present in those who have some sort of religious belief. The law states that you cannot mix Church vs. State. However, religious beliefs originate from the church. So ultimately those beliefs will effect one’s decision towards something political whether or not they are in support or not. Since many people base all their decisions on their religion abortion tends to follow in weather or not they believe in it or not.
Many people also ask the question, "How can you be both prochoice and anti-abortion." It is very simple because I am both prochoice and anti-abortion. As I have stated earlier, I do not support abortion but I do not believe the state should have control over it. This is also my belief, which is not the same for many others. When dealing with a tough decision like this, many people do not know what decision to make. So why should my belief have anything to do with what someone else does? Everyone has his or her own beliefs, mine is neither right nor better. The United States is about welcoming differences in just about everything. This is what makes our country so culturally and religiously diverse. No one 's culture is better than the other just as no religion is better than another. Therefore, abortion should not be voted on by the people or the state. It should not be a major issue in the political world; it should be for an individual to decide with no scrutiny in any way. Abortion is moral not political.
References:
www.womenhistory.com http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/ http://www.dc-sds.org/files/reprohandout.pdf
Marijuana is one of the most discussed and controversial topics in the U.S today. Many say that it has medicinal benefits and should be made legal. While many say that it has a “high potential for abuse” (Medical) and should remain illegal. Among the arguments, proponents for medical marijuana have presented a stronger argument for legalization through their use of research and evidence.
Opponents of medical marijuana have given many reasons for why it should not be legalized.
One of the main reasons they argue is that “Marijuana smoke contains known carcinogens and produces dependency in users” (Medical). In many studies it has shown that it does have some harm such as the harms associated with smoking, but the National Academy of Science affirmed that “marijuana’s short term medical benefits outweigh any smoking-related harms for some patients”(Medical). Though marijuana has been proven to be damaging to the lungs than tobacco, a study in 2006 “found no evidence that marijuana smokers had higher rates of lung cancer” (Medical Marijuana). The FDA has tested the effectiveness of marijuana and has found that the cannabinoids are helpful in “treating pain associated with chemotherapy, postoperative recovery, and spinal cord injury, as well as neuropathic pain, which is often experienced by patients with metastatic cancer, multiple sclerosis,[and] diabetes” (Medical
Marijuana).
There is also no evidence shown that patients who use marijuana become addicted. Though the opposing side argues this, they show no evidence in supporting this claim, which therefore, the claim is invalid. There are many pharmaceutical drugs used for treatment and they are addictive, yet it’s legal. Also carcinogens can have a negative effect, but there are many things in society, such as tobacco, that contains harmful toxins, yet it’s still legal. To say that marijuana should remain illegal because it is addictive, is irrelevant because these items are still present in society today and are harmful to the human body, but still they remain legal.
In other arguments, opponents such as the DEA have argued continuously that medical marijuana has no medicinal value. Although NORML has shown that it helps with “pain relief, nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders”. This research has also proven that marijuana helps with HIV/AIDS patients.
HIV is one of the leading causes of deaths, primarily in African Americans. In this disease, patients suffer from loss of appetite and pain as shown in Figure 1. Many patients have complained that pharmaceutical drugs that physicians provide them, does not help them through this disease. Studies have shown that medical marijuana has proven for some patients to have better results than prescription drugs, but opponents have held back millions of patients who are suffering. Some ill patients need medical marijuana, like mal-nourished plants need water to survive. The DEA are taking these rights away from the ill and they continue to live in a horrible state. The DEA are constantly breaking into people’s homes and arresting them for the use of medical marijuana. Innocent people are being charged heavy fines or even jail time just because they wanted to relieve their pain and suffering.
NORML has shown that “73 percent of Americans support making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe”. This shows that many of the American people want to give medical marijuana to the seriously ill patients. They understand that legalizing medical marijuana is only accessible for ill patients and not for recreational use. Also “since 1996, voters in 13 states- have adopted initiatives exempting patients who use marijuana under physician’s supervision from state criminal penalties” (NORML). Ill patients in America should be given their rights in every state so that each patient can receive equal care. As citizens of the United States seriously ill patients are born with rights and should not be deprived from them.
Many of the different reasons, that the opposing side has given, are irrelevant and can be easily proven by the evidence given by the proponents. The DEA have let millions of patients suffer miserably for many years because they refuse to give them the proper care. Research has already proven that it has medicinal value and it should not be withheld from these patients any longer.
Works Cited
“Marijuana Should Be Legalized for Medical Use.” Drug Legalization. Noel Merino.
Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Current Controversies. Gale Opposing
Viewpoints In Context. Web. 23 Jan. 2011
“Medical Marijuana.” Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale,
2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 23 Jan. 2011.
“Medical Marijuana Should Remain Illegal.” Legalizing Drugs. San Diego: Greenhaven
Press, 2006. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 23 Jan. 2011
UN Photo/Martine Perret; Flicker Photos, Web; 12 Jan. 2008
endprint